Finished Steel import permit tons up 16 percent in 2011 vs. 2010, import market share at 22 percent
Posted
01/11/2012
Based on the Commerce Department's most recent Steel Import
Monitoring and Analysis data, the American Iron and Steel
Institute reported that steel import permit applications for
the month of December 2011 totaled 2,208,000 net tons. This
was a 9 percent increase from the 2,027,000 permit tons recorded in
November 2011 and a 5 percent increase from the November
preliminary imports total of 2,107,000 NT. Import permit
tonnage for finished steel in December was 1,618,000 NT, down 2
percent from the preliminary imports total of 1,646,000 NT in
November. Full-year 2011 total and finished steel import
permit tons were 28,646,000 NT and 21,871,000 NT, up 20 percent and
16 percent, respectively, vs. the 23,929,000 NT and 18,857,000 NT
imported in 2010. The estimated finished steel import market
share in 2011 was 22 percent, and was 19 percent in December.
Finished steel import permits for products that registered large
increases in December vs. the November preliminary include
reinforcing bar up 101 percent, sheet and strip all other metallic
coated up 45 percent, wire rods up 38 percent and mechanical
tubing, up 16 percent For full-year 2011, products that saw
significant increases vs. 2010 include cut length plate up 55
percent, mechanical tubing up 44 percent, plates in coils up
34 percent, line pipe up 33 percent, sheet and strip, all other
metallic coated up 32 percent, reinforcing bar up 27 percent, hot
rolled bars up 26 percent and oil country goods up 23 percent.