According to preliminary data released by the US Census Bureau, the US imported 2.237 million short tons of steel in September, down 10.9 percent from the final August reading and the lowest monthly level since 2022, mainly due to lower steel prices in the US market and lower imports of most steel products. U.S. semi-finished steel imports fell 11.0% month-on-month to 379,000 short tons in September, while finished steel imports fell 10.8% month-on-month to 1.858 million short tons. Among finished steel imports in September, the month-on-month increase in imports of pipeline, standard pipe, rebar and other types failed to offset the decline in imports of large section steel, medium thickness coil, wire, cold-rolled sheet and hot-rolled sheet. The U.S. imported an estimated 22% of the finished steel market in September.
January-september U.S. steel imports rose 4.4 percent from a year earlier to 24.215 million short tons. Among them, the import volume of finished steel was 19.668 million short tons, a significant increase of 22.5% year on year, and except the import volume of hot rolled sheet decreased year on year, the import volume of other varieties increased year on year, among which the import volume of standard pipe, pipeline pipe, wire rod, special petroleum pipe and so on was close to or more than 50%. The U.S. imported an estimated 24% of the finished steel market in the January-September period.
Canada, Mexico and South Korea were the main sources of steel imports to the US in the January-September period, with imports of 5.250 million short tons, 4.215 million short tons and 2.243 million short tons, respectively, down 0.8%, up 27.9% and 8.1% from a year earlier. In addition, in the first nine months of the year, the United States imported 2.172 million short tons of Brazilian steel, down 42.6% year on year; China imported 934,000 short tons from Japan, up 19.9 percent year on year; China imported 814,000 short tons from Vietnam, up 67.9 percent year on year. China imported 465,000 short tons from Russia, down 60.7% year on year; China imported 492,000 short tons, up 58.2 percent year on year.