US preliminary steel imports increase 27pct in Jan 2014
According to the American Iron and Steel Institute, the US imported a total of 3,172,000 net tonnes of steel in January 2014 including 2,409,000 net tonnes of finished steel. Year to date total and finished steel imports are 3,172,000 and 2,409,000 net tonnes respectively up 21% and 12% respectively, vs. 2013. Finished steel import market share was an estimated 26% in January.
Key finished steel products with a significant import increase in January compared to December 2013 are reinforcing bars (up 168%), wire rods (up 145%), sheet and strip all other metallic coatings (up 115%), oil country goods (up 58%), plates in coils (up 39%), sheets and strip galvanized hot dipped (up 38%), cold rolled sheets (up 23%) and hot rolled sheets (up 11%).
In January, the largest volumes of finished steel imports were from South Korea (429,000 NT, up 43% vs. December final), Turkey (200,000 NT, up 341%), China (191,000 NT, up 33%), Japan (159,000 NT, up 6%) and Taiwan (102,000 NT, up 127%).
Source – Strategic Research Institute