US steel imports surged in January, reversed in February

Steel imports ended 2024 on a low note, with November trade falling to a one-year low and December seeing a modest 3% recovery. Then as the new year began, import volumes spiked.

January imports surged 44% month over month (m/m), climbing to a near three-year high of 3.08 million short tons (st) according to census data recently published by the US Commerce Department. However, February licenses indicate that these gains were completely erased, with current estimates at 2.14 million st through March 4 data. This puts import volumes right back around those low levels seen towards the end of 2024 (Figure 1, left).

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.