Steel imports to the US are expected to continue to decline in December due to lower production of flat products and semi-finished products.
Steel imports may fall to 1.98 million tons, according to preliminary data on issued import licensed by the US Department of Commerce.
This will be 24% less than the 2.62 million tons actually imported in December 2021, but 8.7% more than the provisional data for November.
Licenses are registered for the purpose of actual imports, although actual imports may fluctuate.
Licenses applied for flat products amounted to 726,900 tons, down 38% from the 1.16 million tons imported in the previous year. Hot-rolled coil (HRC) and hot-dip galvanized coil (HDG) fell the most, with prices dropping by 51% and 44%, respectively.
Steel semi-finished product licenses fell by 48% to slabs fell to 78,600 tons, down 79% from 369,700 tons imported a year earlier.
