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    May 13, 2021

    March Import Market Share for Sheet and Plate Products

    Written by David Schollaert

    This report examines the import share of sheet and plate products. Imports’ share of total sheet product shipments was 12.7% in March, down from 14.0% in February. The decrease corresponds to a simultaneous increase in domestic shipments and a rise in imports; however, the surge in domestic shipments at 17.4% month on month outpaced the 5.1% increase in imports.

    Domestic shipments in March totaled 4.505 million tons, a strong recovery after February posted the lowest mark since this past August at 3.838 million tons. Imports of sheet products in March totaled about 657,978 tons, the highest mark since January 2020 when imports totaled 714,092 tons. Despite the increase in steel sheet product shipments in March, demand continue to outpace supply, driving prices to unprecedented highs. The import share of hot rolled coil (HRC) edged down to 8.7% in March, compared to 11.3% in February. Although HRC imports were down 11.6% month on month, the correction was accentuated due to an increase of 18.6% in domestic shipments in March when compared to the prior month.

    David Schollaert

    David Schollaert is deputy editor-in-chief for Steel Market Update. David joined SMU after more than a decade in the metals and mining industry in a myriad of different roles. Much of his early experience and expertise were within the coverage and analysis of steel-making raw materials and served previously as senior editor of the CRU Prices Service. Most recently, however, before his return to market analysis, David held roles as a metals buyer and an operations manager for raw material suppliers. He can be contacted at david@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-720-1008.

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