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    Strong Q4 Leads to Most Profitable Year in Olympic Steel's History

    Written by David Schollaert


    Olympic Steel announced record results in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2021, a strong finish to the company’s most profitable year to date.

    “We achieved record sales and net income for the fourth quarter, a fitting capstone to a year of record-setting performance for Olympic Steel,” said Richard Marabito, Olympic’s CEO. “All three of our operating segments earned record EBITDA in 2021, reflecting not only strong market demand for our products but also the benefits of our diversification and acquisition strategy. At the same time, we remained focused on operational and working capital disciplines, including record inventory turns, which further enhanced our financial performance.”

    David Schollaert

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    Steel exports fall in September to lowest rate of the year

    US steel exports eased 3% from August to September, marking the third consecutive monthly decline following June’s 17-month high, according to recently released US Department of Commerce figures. Exports have been historically low since early 2025 and remain weak compared to volumes seen in prior years. In September, 615,000 short tons (st) of steel were shipped outside of the country, 2% below the average monthly export rate of the past twelve months. September trade was 3% higher than the same month of 2025, 19% lower than September 2024, 21% lower than September 2023, and 15% lower than September 2022. For context, exports fell to a five-year low of 469,000 st in December and reached a near-five-year high of 914,000 st in May 2023.

    Imports fall back slightly in September, slide further in October

    Final import data for September from the US Commerce Department shows a slight decline from August’s 15-month high. And October’s license count suggests another month-on-month (m/m) decline in imports. September imports of 2,416,717 short tons (st) were down just 1% from 2,434,108 st in August, a 15-month high. October license data show a steeper 8% m/m fall to 2,214,730 st (Figure 1, left). August appears to have been the peak for the recovery in imports, which has been ongoing since February of this year, when we saw some of the lowest levels since 2020.