USA Steel Imports Statistics – CY’18

USA Iron Ore imports fell by 11% in CY18- Nation’s iron ore imports recorded at 5.68 MnT in CY18, down by 11% as compared to 6.37 MnT in CY17.Brazil stood largest iron ore exporter to US at 3.39 MnT (down 17% Y-o-Y) followed by Canada at 1.02 MnT (up 6% on yearly basis) and Sweden at 0.65 MnT.

On monthly basis, imports increased 13% to 0.69 MnT in Dec’18 as against 0.61 MnT a month ago.

USA Pig Iron imports rose by 17% in CY18 – In CY18 (Jan-Dec),nation has imported about 6.01 MnT Pig Iron, rose by 17.44% as compared to 5.12 MnT in last year. Russia, Ukraine & Brazil was the major Pig Iron exporter to United States which exported about 3.19 MnT (53.06%), 1.81 MnT (30.20%) & 7.52 MnT (12.50%),respectively.

However on monthly basis nation’s pig iron imports accounted for 6.76 MnT in Dec’18 ,recorded 17-month high, surge by 11% M-o-M against 6.11 MnT in Nov’18.

USA Billet imports decline by 10% in CY18- Nation’s billet imports decline by 10.2% in CY18 & recorded at 5.42 MnT as against 6.03 MnT in CY17.In CY18 major exporting nations of billet were Brazil at 2.49 MnT,Russia at 1.79 MnT,Mexico at 0.86 MnT followed by Japan at 0.10 MnT and India at 0.08 MnT.

Meanwhile on monthly basis nation’s billet imports plunged to half at 0.18 MnT in Dec’18 which was 0.38 MnT in Nov’18.

USA Finished Long steel down by 24% in CY18- Nation’s long steel imports in CY’18 stood at 3.69 MnT,plunged by 24% as compared to 4.85 MnT in CY’17.Rebar imports were significantly down by 26% to 2.33 MnT in CY’18 against 3.14 MnT in CY’17.

Imports of Structure stood at 0.83 MnT in CY’18 registered a decline by 25% against 1.11 MnT in the preceding year.Whereas Wire Rod imports were down by 13% in CY’18 to 0.52 MnT in comparison to 0.60 MnT in CY’17.

Major exporting nations of long steel to USA were Canada at 0.68 MnT,Mexico at 0.51 MnT,Turkey at 0.38 MnT,Germany at 0.26 MnT followed by Italy and Japan at 0.24 MnT and 0.20 MnT in CY18.

USA Flat Steel imports edges down by 9% in CY’18- Nation’s flat steel imports stood at 17.65 MnT,fell by 9% in comparison to 19.47 MnT in CY’17.

The 25% tariffs on steel imports, which the Trump administration levied in March have impacted the U.S. steel industry to great extent.

The tariffs have provided the much-needed protection to American steel producers who have long struggled to cope with a tide of cheap foreign imports. The punitive tariffs appear to be bearing fruit as reflected by a decline in U.S. steel imports.

Major flat steel exporting countries in CY’18 included Canada at 4.52(26%) MnT, South Korea 2.26 MnT,(13%) Mexico 1.76 MnT (10%) and Vietnam at 0.92 MnT.(5%).Countries like Germany, Taiwan, Japan, Turkey and others also exported flat steel products to USA in smaller quantities.

USA Ferro Silico Manganese imports increases in CY’18- Nation’s imports in CY18 were 16% higher for Ferro Silico Manganese to 0.426 MnT and 29% for Ferro Manganese at 0.427 MnT.

Whereas Ferro Manganese and Silico Manganese were down by 45% and 50% on monthly basis in Dec’18 as compared to Nov’18. Fall in imports were due to Christmas holidays along with weak demand for Ferro Alloys.

Quantity in MT
Source: SteelMint Research