By 
U.S. Steel Coalition Seeks Korea-Specific Quota as Imports Surge
U.S. steel producers and labor groups are urging the Trump administration to tighten Section 232 measures on South Korean steel after July imports surged across long products, pipe and tube, and selected flat-rolled categories.
By Paul Ploumis
Published September 30, 2026
Key Points
- South Korean long-product imports, including rebar, reached a record 145,300 tons in July 2026.
- The July total was more than six times the 22,100 tons recorded in July 2024 and nearly four times July 2025 volume.
- South Korean pipe and tube shipments reached 160,300 tons in July.
- The coalition is seeking a South Korea-specific tariff-rate quota and an investigation into the causes of the import increase.
- Broader U.S. steel imports remain below 2025 levels despite the sharp increases in several Korean product categories.
MONTREAL (Scrap Monster): A coalition representing U.S. steel producers, manufacturers and workers is asking the Trump administration to investigate a sharp increase in steel imports from South Korea and impose additional controls on shipments entering under the Section 232 trade regime.
In a September 28 letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, the groups cited substantial increases in South Korean long products, pipe and tube, and several flat-rolled steel categories.
The coalition argued that the growth in shipments warrants additional scrutiny despite South Korean steel already being subject to the 50% Section 232 tariff applied to steel imports from most countries.
Korean Long-Product Imports Reach Record
Long products produced the most striking increase cited in the letter.
South Korean imports of long steel products, including rebar, reached a record 145,300 tons in July 2026, compared with 36,400 tons in July 2025 and 22,100 tons in July 2024.
That puts July shipments at more than six times their level two years earlier and nearly four times the July 2025 total.
The figures cited by the coalition were drawn from the U.S. Department of Commerce Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis system.
SCRAPMONSTER EDGE
The concern is concentrated in specific Korean product streams rather than the U.S. import market as a whole. Long-product imports from South Korea have accelerated sharply, while broader U.S. steel imports remain below last year's cumulative levels. That makes product mix and country of origin central to the industry's request for additional trade measures.
Pipe and Tube Shipments Also Draw Scrutiny
Pipe and tube imports were another major focus of the industry letter.
South Korean pipe and tube shipments reached 160,300 tons in July 2026, according to the coalition.
The groups said South Korea has substantial export-oriented pipe manufacturing capacity and identified the United States as an important destination for products including oil country tubular goods and line pipe.
Flat-rolled products were also cited. The coalition pointed to higher shipments of galvalume, hot-dipped galvanized sheet and hot-rolled plate in coils as further evidence of increased Korean supply entering the U.S. market.
Coalition Seeks Tariff-Rate Quota and Investigation
The groups are asking the administration to go beyond the existing Section 232 tariff structure.
Specifically, they proposed a tariff-rate quota for South Korean steel carrying a minimum 50% tariff on imports within the quota and a higher tariff on volumes exceeding that threshold.
They also requested that the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Department of Commerce and U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigate the underlying causes of the increase and consider additional enforcement measures if unfair or market-distorting trade practices are identified.
The request was signed by the Steel Manufacturers Association, American Iron and Steel Institute, Committee on Pipe and Tube Imports, United States OCTG Manufacturers Association, American Line Pipe Producers Association, American Institute of Steel Construction, Alliance for American Manufacturing and United Steelworkers.
Broader U.S. Import Trend Remains Mixed
The sharp increases cited for South Korea come against a more mixed overall U.S. steel import picture.
Preliminary data for August showed total U.S. steel imports at approximately 2.35 million net tons, up 3.4% from July. Finished steel imports rose 2.2% month over month.
However, total steel imports during the first eight months of 2026 remained 15.1% below the comparable 2025 period, while finished steel imports were down 18.5%.
South Korea remained the largest foreign steel supplier in August at approximately 407,000 net tons, although shipments declined 27% from July.
The figures indicate that the industry's concern is centered on South Korea's growing share and the rapid increase in selected product categories rather than a broad year-to-date rise in all U.S. steel imports.
Trade Enforcement Becomes the Next Question
The coalition maintains that additional controls are needed to preserve the intended effect of current Section 232 measures and support domestic steel investment, production and employment.
Those arguments represent the position of the U.S. steel industry groups that signed the letter. The administration has not announced the South Korea-specific tariff-rate quota requested by the coalition.
The next step will depend on whether Commerce, USTR or Customs and Border Protection opens the requested review or takes additional action on Korean steel imports.
