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 May total 2,800,000 net tons (NT). This was a 4 percent increase from the 2,697,000 permit tons recorded in April and 2 percent increase from the April final imports total of 2,738,000 NT. Import permit tonnage for finished steel in May was 2,105,000, down 2 percent from the final imports total of 2,145,000 in April. For the first five months of 2013 (including May SIMA and April final), total and finished steel imports were 13,234,000 NT and 10,341,000 NT, respectively, down 11 percent and 9 percent from the same period in 2012. May 2013 total and finished steel import permit tons would annualize at 31,761,000 NT and 24,818,000 NT, down 5 percent and 4 percent, respectively, vs. the 33,475,000 NT and 25,826,000 NT imported in 2012. The estimated finished steel import market share in May was 22 percent and is 23 percent year-to-date (YTD).
Finished steel imports with large increases in May permits vs. the April final included reinforcing bars (up 361 percent), hot rolled bars (up 50 percent), wire rods (up 30 percent) and steel piling (up 107 percent). Products with significant year-to-date (YTD) increases vs. the same period in 2012 include steel piling (up 86 percent), sheets and strip galvanized electrolytic (up 35 percent) and cold rolled strip (up 32 percent). f