• Skip to main content

    Prices

    October 11, 2022

    Steel Exports Rebound in August, Over 800,000 Tons Again

    Written by Brett Linton

    US steel exports rebounded 8% from July to August, according to the latest US Commerce Department data. Just over 800,000 net tons entered the country during the month, now the third-highest monthly export rate seen in the last four years (behind March and April 2022). Exports on a rolling annual basis are now at a three and a a half year high. Total August exports were 5% higher than levels seen one year ago.

    As shown in the graph below, monthly exports have remained relatively high compared to recent years. For comparison, the highest monthly figure seen in the past four years was in March 2022 at 843,000 tons. The highest level recorded in Figure 1 was 1.05 million tons in May 2017, and the highest monthly rate in our history was January 2012 at 1.32 million tons. Recall that in 2020, total steel exports had fallen to a 24-year low of 374,000 tons in May.

    Brett Linton

    Brett Linton is a digital operations analyst for Steel Market Update, where he began his career. Linton has been in the steel industry since 2010. He has held roles as a category manager and strategic insights director at Reibus before returning to SMU in 2024. He is a graduate of The University of North Georgia with a degree in Finance and Accounting. Brett can be reached at brett@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-314-0179.

    Read more from Brett Linton

    Latest in Prices

    Plate supply squeeze tightens as demand presses higher

    The domestic plate market is showing few signs of relief for steel buyers. Lead times are stretching well beyond seasonal norms, spot availability has all but evaporated, and mills are drawing hard lines on contract volumes heading into 2027 negotiations. And the supply squeeze will likely intensify in a market that some industry sources say is structurally undersupplied because of stringent US trade and tariff policies. Imports have been arriving in larger volumes, and the expectation is they will continue to tick higher into 2027. The big question is whether those foreign tons will arrive in volumes sufficient to provide the relief steel consumers want.