U.S. Steel Import Permits Jump 8.9% in August

Steel News  |  2026-09-14 04:50:21   |   By

Several product categories recorded sharp monthly increases. All other rails climbed 78%, followed by plates in coils at 74%, cut-length plates at 72%, and hot-rolled sheets at 67%.

Summary
  • U.S. Steel Import Permits Rise in August
    August steel import permit applications reached 2.499 million net tons, up 8.9% from July and 10.1% above July’s final import volume. Finished steel permits also increased 8.8% to 1.694 million net tons.
  • Year-to-Date Imports Remain Below 2025 Levels
    Despite the monthly recovery, U.S. steel imports continued to trail last year’s levels. Total imports during January-August fell 14.3% year over year to 16.06 million net tons, while finished steel imports dropped 17.8% to 11.43 million net tons.
  • South Korea Leads Suppliers as Product Imports Surge
    South Korea remained the largest source of August steel import permits at 418,000 net tons, although volumes declined 25% from July. Brazil ranked second at 368,000 net tons, while imports of rails, plates and hot-rolled sheets posted substantial monthly increases.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): U.S. steel import activity gained strong momentum in August, although imports remained substantially below last year’s levels, according to the latest data from the Commerce Department’s Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis (SIMA) system.

According to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), August steel import permit applications reached 2.499 million net tons (NT). This represents an 8.9% increase from July permits. It was also 10.1% above July’s final import volume of 2.268 million NT.

Finished steel accounted for 1.694 million NT of August permits, rising 8.8% from July’s final total. Finished imports represented an estimated 18% of the U.S. market during the month, while the year-to-date share stood at 16%.

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Despite the August increase, cumulative imports remained weaker than in 2025. During January-August, total steel imports reached 16.06 million NT, down 14.3% year over year. Finished steel imports also fell 17.8% to 11.43 million NT.

Several product categories recorded sharp monthly increases. All other rails climbed 78%, followed by plates in coils at 74%, cut-length plates at 72%, and hot-rolled sheets at 67%.

South Korea remained the leading source of August permits at 418,000 NT, despite a 25% monthly decline. Brazil followed with 368,000 NT, up 45%. For the first eight months, South Korea led suppliers with 2.968 million NT.