US steel imports down 6% in Dec m-o-m

WASHINGTON (Scrap Monster): The US imported a total of 1,997,000 net tons (nt) of steel in December, down 6 percent from November, including 1,510,000 nt of finished steel, down 9 percent, according to US Census Bureau data.

Full-year 2011 total and finished steel imports were 28.4 and 21.8 million nt, respectively, up 19 percent and 15 percent versus 2010.  Finished steel import market share in December and for full-year 2011 was an estimated 18 percent and 22 percent, respectively.

Despite the decrease in total finished steel imports in December, wire rod and rebar imports increased 49 percent; mechanical tubing imports were up 16 percent and metallic coated sheets registered a 10 percent increase.

Major products with import increases in excess of 30 percent in 2011 versus 2010 include cut length plates (up 55 percent), mechanical tubing (up 44 percent), plates in coils (up 33 percent) and line pipe (up 32 percent).

For full-year 2011, the US's largest offshore import suppliers were South Korea (2,835,000 nt and up 39 percent), Japan (1,452,000 nt and up 10 percent) and China (1,230,000 nt and up 43 percent).