Total steel import permit applications reached 2,691,000 net tons for the month of January 2012, according to the most recent report from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). The January total represents a 21% increase from the 2,230,000 permit tons recorded in December and a 35% increase from the December preliminary imports total of 1,997,000 net tons.
The report, which is based on the Commerce Department’s most recent Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis (SIMA) data, shows that the January total included import permit tonnage of 2,103,000 net tons for finished steel, up 39% from the preliminary imports total of 1,510,000 net tons in December.
January 2012 total steel import permit tons would annualize at 32,295,000 net tons, up 14% vs. the 28,448,000 net tons imported in 2011. January 2012 finished steel import permit tons would annualize at 25,232,000 net tons, up 16% vs. the 21,871,000 net tons imported in 2011. The estimated finished steel import market share was 23%in January.
In January, the largest finished steel import permit applications for offshore countries were for Korea (358,000 net tons, up 78% from December), Turkey (184,000 net tons, up 179%), Japan (150,000 net tons, up 45%), Germany (105,000 net tons, up 25%) and China (95,000 net tons, up 10%).
Finished steel import permits for products that registered large increases in January vs. the December preliminary include
· Reinforcing bar (up 214%)
· Heavy structural shapes (up 177%)
· Cold rolled sheets (up 69%)
· Cut-length plates (up 68%)
· Line pipe (up 64%)
· Oil country goods (up 44%)
· Standard pipe (up 43%)
· Sheets and strip, all other metallic coated (up 34%)
“The January import numbers are another reminder that we need to be vigilant about the possibility of surges of unfairly trade steel to the United States this year, in the context of a still-fragile economic and steel market recovery,” said Thomas J. Gibson, AISI President and CEO, in commenting on the January 2012 SIMA data.
AISI serves as the voice of the North American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice. AISI also plays a lead role in member companies, including integrated and electric furnace steelmakers, and 120 associate and the development and application of new steels and steelmaking technology. The Institute comprises 25 affiliate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry.