Washington, D.C. – 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 2,461,000 net tons (NT)*. This was a 12.9% decrease from the 2,826,000 permit tons recorded in June and a 12.4% decrease from the June preliminary imports total of 2,810,000. Import permit tonnage for finished steel in July was 2,082,000, down 5.5% from the preliminary imports total of 2,204,000 in June. For the first seven months of 2022 (including July SIMA permits and June preliminary imports), total and finished steel imports were 19,230,000 NT and 15,510,000 NT, up 9.1% and 30.0%, respectively, from the same period in 2021. The estimated finished steel import market share in July was 23% and is 24% year-to-date (YTD).

Steel imports with large increases in July permits vs. June preliminary imports include wire rods (up 48%), black plate (up 42%), reinforcing bars (up 31%) and cut lengths plates (up 22%). Products with significant year-to date (YTD) increases vs. the same period in 2021 include wire rods (up 81%), oil country goods (up 62%), standard pipe (up 55%), cold rolled sheets (up 48%) and line pipe (up 48%).

In July, the largest steel import permit applications were for Canada (515,000 NT, down 19% from June preliminary), Mexico (440,000 NT, down 16%), South Korea (257,000 NT, down 14%), Brazil (247,000 NT, up 24%) and Japan (161,000 NT, up 64%). Through the first seven months of 2022, the largest suppliers were Canada (4,093,000 NT, no change from the same period last year), Mexico (3,395,000 NT, up 37%) and Brazil (1,802,000 NT, down 41%).

*Note that import permits data are counts of tonnages requested in applications for licenses to import steel products and are not actual import volumes. For a number of reasons, permit tonnages may understate or overstate actual import volumes for the month, preliminary estimates of which will be available later this month.

AISI serves as the voice of the American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice. AISI’s membership is comprised of integrated and electric arc furnace steelmakers, and associate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry. For more news about steel and its applications, view AISI’s website at www.steel.org. Follow AISI on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter (@AISISteel) or Instagram.

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