US steel imports recovered in May, fell again in June

Following one of the lowest levels seen in more than two years, US steel imports rebounded 20% from April to 2.49 million short tons (st) in May, according to recently released US Commerce Department data. While up, trade remains low relative to recent years. Preliminary June license data suggests another decline, with licenses currently down 12% month over month (m/m).

Recall that imports spiked at the start of the year to 3.08 million st in January, the highest level since April 2022. Imports have generally trended lower since then. As of last week, June licenses totaled 2.19 million st, down 29% from January’s peak (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.