Preliminary Steel Imports Fall 17% in November to 21-Month Low

Preliminary Census data indicates that steel imports will have totaled 2.01 million net tons for the month of November. This is down 17% compared to the month prior, now standing at the lowest level recorded since February 2021. Import levels have been gradually falling since reaching a 26-month high in March 2022 of 3.09 million tons.

Broken down by product category, semifinished product imports in November are preliminarily down 46% from the previous month. Long product imports also fell substantially, down 22% month over month (MoM). Imports of stainless steel products declined 16% MoM, finished steel imports fell 11%, and flat-rolled imports decreased 10%, respectively. The only category to remain relatively stable was pipe and tube, falling less than 1%.

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.