US ferrous scrap exports declined on an annual basis in July, with Turkey, Taiwan and Vietnam the main shipping destinations for US material.
Total exports decreased by 16pc in July to 1.16mn mt from 1.39mn mt during the corresponding month in 2019, according to US Census Bureau data. However, year-to-date, US ferrous exports have declined by 1pc to 9.01mn mt from 9.06mn mt through the first seven months of last year.
Despite the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, exports to various countries saw considerable surges in the first seven months of the year. Turkey was the largest importer, exporting 376,147mt of ferrous scrap, up by 16pc from January through July 2019. Taiwan followed with an increase of 18pc to 152,146mt, while Vietnam had a 45pc decrease to 136,295mt.
Malaysian imports of US ferrous scrap doubled through the first seven months of 2020, totaling 882,501mt from 446,854mt during the prior year period. Mexico also saw a 22pc increase in year-to-date imports to 906,954mt compared to 745,340 during the same period last year.
East Coast
East coast ferrous scrap exports reached 597,802mt in July, falling from 800,703mt in June.
West Coast
West coast ferrous scrap exports hit 343,767mt in July, rising from 179,170mt during the previous month.
Courier Low-Value Shipments (CLVS) Program
Canada reduced manpower at certain ports during the pandemic to match reduced shipping staff under CLVS. This accounted for 6,113mt of US ferrous scrap exports.
North America
Amid rising tension during the Sec 232 tariffs standoff, Canada imported only 8,982mt of US ferrous scrap. However, Mexico’s imports surged to 80,019 from 63,353mt in June, as the automotive manufacturing and construction sectors restarted in the country. This caused North American ferrous exports from the US to fall to 89,001mt in July from 292,142mt in June.
Through the first six months of the year, the US exported 546,249mt of ferrous scrap to Canada, increasing by 35pc from the first seven months of 2019. Mexico imported 906,954mt during the period.