The American Institute of Iron and Steel (AISI) reported that the United States imported a total of 2.385 million tonnes of steel in November 2018, including 1.921 million tonnes of finished steel, down 27.2 percent and 4.1 percent, respectively with October final data). In the first 11 months of 2018, total imports and imports of finished steel will amount to 31.834 and 24.016 million tons, which is 10.8 and 13.2 percent lower, respectively, compared to the same period in 2017. The total volume of imports and imports of finished steel in 2018, according to AISI estimates, will be 34.7 and 26.2 million tons, which is 8.9 and 11.4 percent, respectively, less than in 2017. The market share of finished steel imports in November was approximately 21 percent and is estimated at 23 percent in the first 11 months of 2018.
Major finished steel products with significant increase in imports in November compared to October: heavy structural forms (up 67 percent), wire rod (up to 57 percent), sheets and strips of all other metal coatings (up to 24 percent), and mechanical tubes (up to 12 percent). Key products with significant year-to-date increases compared to the same period in 2017 include hot rolled sheets (up 22 percent) and coiled sheets (up 16 percent).
