Analysis
April 20, 2026
Miller on Pig Iron: Supply tight in US, sources say
Written by Stephen Miller
Pig iron availability in the US is in short supply, various sources reported to SMU. However, based upon figures for Q1’26, pig iron shipments from Ukraine and Brazil are at high levels.
The Ukrainian State Customs Service has reported Ukrainian pig iron shipments have increased marginally in the January-March 2026 period vs. a year earlier. Shipments rose to a total of 465,000 metric tons (mt).
The US was the leading export destination for Ukrainian pig iron. The Service reported 422,000 mt were shipped across the Atlantic. The transit time from Black Sea ports to US destinations is 17-20 days.
Virtually all of the Ukrainian production is considered low phosphorous, which in the US is .10% max. That’s also true of pig iron of Russian origin, which is under sanction and cannot be legally imported to the US.
Domestic hot-rolled (HR) coil steelmakers in the US prefer “low-phos” pig iron to produce drawing-quality HR in their EAFs.
Prior to the start of the hostilities in Ukraine, American mills depended on Russia and Ukraine for about 65% on their pig iron imports, the larger amount coming from Russia. This was because it was all “low-phos.”
Brazilian material
In Brazil, only a fraction of their immense production is considered “low-phos.” The lower phos material is shipped from ports in Northern Brazil.
Without Russian imports as of 2022, domestic steelmakers have struggled to obtain low-phos material.
The fact Ukraine has been resilient enough to bring their pig iron export volumes back up to a significant level is extremely commendable given their wartime environment.
It is really hard to believe the US Government is still imposing tariffs on this country for this important commodity.
The Brazilian Pig Iron Association, known as Sindifer, has officially reported January-February shipments to the US totaled 782,000 mt.
Unofficial estimates for March exports to the US are 247,000 mt. This results in total US shipments from Brazil of ~1,029,000 mt, the largest amount being “high-phos” (.15% max) shipped from South Brazil.
The transit times to the US are 17-20 days from the Southern Brazil and 10-12 days from the North.
If the pace of inbound pig iron shipments continues from both Ukraine and Brazil, the US would import approximately 6 million mt in 2026. In 2025, US pig iron imports totaled 5.3 million mt, according to US Customs.
