AISI releases January SIMA import data

Based on the Commerce Department’s most recent Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis (SIMA) data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported today that steel import permit applications for the month of January totaled 2,126,000 net tons (NT)*.  This was a 0.1% decrease from the 2,128,000 permit tons recorded in December and a 42.4% increase from the December preliminary imports total of 1,494,000.  Import permit tonnage for finished steel in January was 1,202,000, down 10.3% from the preliminary imports total of 1,340,000 in December.  The estimated finished steel import market share in January was 16%.

Finished steel imports with large increases in January permits vs. the December preliminary imports include heavy structural shapes (up 105%), reinforcing bars (up 82%), light shapes bars (up 23%) and structural pipe and tubing (up 15%).

In January, the largest finished steel import permit applications for offshore countries were for South Korea (125,000 NT, down 48%), Turkey (75,000 NT, up 451%), Japan (52,000 NT, down 11%), Brazil (40,000 NT, down 18%) and Taiwan (30,000 NT, down 23%).

Source: AISI, Photo: Fotolia