Steel Import Permits Increase 15% – July Import Market Share at 21%

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 July totaled 2,323,000 net tons (NT). This was a 15% increase from the 2,023,000 permit tons recorded in June and a 17% increase from the June preliminary imports total of 1,981,000 NT. Import permit tonnage for finished steel in July was 1,753,000 NT, up 14% from the preliminary imports total of 1,543,000 NT in June. July total and finished steel import permit tons would annualize at 23,960,000 NT and 18,722,000 NT, up 48% and 32%, respectively, from the 16,215,000 NT and 14,179,000 NT imported in 2009