Based on the Commerce Department’s most recent Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis data, the American Iron and Steel Institute reported that steel import permit applications for the month of September totaled 1,252,000 net tons.
This is a 26% increase from the 997,000 permit net tons recorded in August 2009 and a 47% increase from the August preliminary imports total of 855,000 net tons.
Import permit tonnage for finished steel in September was 1,024,000 net tons an increase of 30% from the preliminary imports total of 786,000 net tons in August.
September 2009 total and finished steel import permit tons would annualize at 15,629,000 net tons and 14,344,000 net tons down 51% and 45%, respectively, from the 31,927,000 net tons and 25,956,000 net tons imported in 2008
In September 2009, the largest finished steel import permit applications for offshore countries were
1. South Korea - 64,000 net tons down by 24% MoM
2. The Netherlands - 51,000 net tons up by 89%MoM
3. Japan - 45,000 net tons up by 63%MOM
4. China - 44,000 net tons up by 45% MoM
Finished steel import market share in September is estimated at 16% and at 23% year to date.
Finished steel import permits for products that registered increases in September vs. the August preliminary include line pipe (93%), oil country goods (81%), cut length plates (79%), heavy structural shapes (68%), hot dipped galvanized sheets (49%) and hot rolled sheets (34%).
Mr Thomas J Gibson president & CEO of AISI said “The September import surge is of serious concern. Once again, we see a significant increase in imports threatening important product markets, including, as the data indicates, line pipe, oil country goods and heavy structural shapes, among others. Year to date import market share at 23% remains a problem, when the domestic steel industry is still operating at around 60% and the construction market is sluggish, at best. It will take a long time for the US economy and the steel market to recover. Given this fact, there must be zero tolerance for dumped and subsidized imports.”
