U.S. Steel Import Permits Up in November, 2025 Volumes Lag Last Year: AISI

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Based on the latest Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis (SIMA) data from the US Commerce Department, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) has released fresh insights into November steel import trends, showing a mixed but clearly softer year-to-date picture.

Key November highlights

·         Steel import permit applications totaled 1.679 million net tons (NT)

·         This marked a 4.5% rise over October permits, but a 3.0% decline from October’s final import volume

·         Finished steel permits fell sharply to 1.13 million NT, down 15.4% month-on-month

·         Estimated finished steel import market share stood at 14% for November and 19% YTD

Year-to-date performance (Jan–Nov 2025)

·         Total steel imports: 23.7 million NT, down 11.3% vs. 2024

·         Finished steel imports: 17.55 million NT, down 15.1% year-on-year

Products showing strong monthly permit growth

·         Heavy structural shapes: +79%

·         Tin free steel: +46%

·         Blooms, billets and slabs: +39%

·         Line pipe: +16%

·         Cut-length plates: +14%

Top suppliers in November

·         Brazil: 254,000 NT

·         Canada: 252,000 NT

·         South Korea: 185,000 NT

·         Mexico: 163,000 NT

·         Japan: 99,000 NT

Overall, data suggest imports remain under pressure in 2025, despite short-term product-level spikes.

YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN:

U.S. Raw Steel Output Ticks Up in Early January: AISI

AISI: U.S. Steel Sector Gains Momentum as Shipments Rise in September 2025