Imports' Share of U.S. Sheet and Plate Markets Up Again in November

Imports of less-expensive sheet and plate products continue to arrive on U.S. shores, a steady increase over the past seven months, driven by the need for buyers to find relief from inflated steel prices in the U.S. Although domestic steel prices have been declining, November Commerce Department data show imports’ shares of the U.S. flat products markets at their highest levels in the past 4-5 years and still trending up.

Imports’ share of total sheet product shipments into the U.S. was 21.5% in November, an increase from 19.0% the month prior. The gain was driven by a 3.9% decline in domestic shipments of sheet products, while foreign sheet grew by 11.8%, its highest mark in nearly seven years. Market share of plate product imports rose to 28.6% in November versus 27.6% the month prior, and the top mark in six years.

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.