US ferrous scrap exports surged 17pc in March to 1.51mn mt from 1.3mn mt in the prior year, according to US Census Bureau data.
Total US ferrous exports declined by 5pc in Q1 2021 to 3.9mn mt from 4.11mn mt in the same three-month period last year.
Mexico remained the largest importer in terms of volume, with an 82pc increase in March 2021 shipments to 291,107mt from 160,326 in the same month last year. Exports to Turkey were nearly flat this March increasing by 4pc to 461,950mt, from 444,539mt in March 2020.
The demand for US ferrous scrap in Vietnam continued trending up, with a 481pc jump in March 2021 exports to 89,356mt from 15,384mt in the same month last year. Exports to Malaysia dropped by 12pc to 106,317mt this March from 121,314mt during the same month last year.
Exports from US Coasts
East coast ferrous scrap exports amounted to 926,770mt, nearly twice from 456,603 in February. The West Coast shipped 204,141mt of ferrous scrap this March, a decline from 367,621mt in the prior month.
North America
Canada imported 36,603mt of US ferrous scrap in March 2021, a 42pc increase from 25,717mt in the previous month.
In the first quarter of 2021, the US exported 156,697mt of ferrous scrap to Canada, a 10pc decline from 173,651mt in the same three-month period last year. Mexico imported 70pc more this quarter at 762,865mt, from 447,653mt in the prior-year quarter period.