U.S. Steel Shipments Rise 6.2% in May: AISI

Steel News | 2026-07-08 11:22:00 | By Paul Ploumis

The latest shipment data highlights continued momentum in the U.S. steel industry.

Summary

Strong Monthly Growth: U.S. steel shipments reached 8.14 million net tons in May 2026, up 8.5% year over year and 6.2% from April.
Year-to-Date Gains: Steel deliveries totaled 38.99 million net tons during January–May 2026, marking a 4.6% increase over the same period in 2025.
Mixed Product Performance: Corrosion-resistant sheet and strip shipments rose 13%, hot-rolled sheet and strip gained 6%, while cold-rolled sheet and strip shipments declined 1% year to date.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): U.S. steel shipments continued to rise in May 2026, according to the latest figures released by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). The steel deliveries from domestic mills recorded solid gains both month-on-month and year-on-year, it noted. The latest shipment data highlights continued momentum in the U.S. steel industry.

Steel mills across the country shipped 8.14 million net tons during May. This is significantly higher by 8.5% when compared with 7.51 million net tons shipped in the same month last year. Shipments also improved 6.2% from the previous month, when deliveries totaled 7.66 million net tons.

AISI Releases May SIMA Imports Data

During the first five months of 2026, cumulative steel shipments reached 38.99 million net tons, higher by 4.6% than the 37.29 million net tons recorded during the corresponding period of 2025.

Among flat steel products, corrosion-resistant sheet and strip posted the strongest year-to-date growth, with shipments climbing 13% from the same period a year earlier. Hot-rolled sheet and strip shipments also recorded a jump of around 6%.

In contrast, cold-rolled sheet and strip shipments experienced a slight decline. Deliveries of this product category were 1% lower than those reported during the first five months of 2025.