US steel imports rose by 0.8pc to 2.63mn nt (2.39mn mt) in April against the same year-ago month, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). Finished steel imports climbed by 5.1pc to 1.65mn nt in the same period.
Semi-finished slabs, ingots, and billets imports declined by 6.6pc to 978,044nt in April and the second-highest finished steel category, hot rolled sheet (HRC), rose by 32.1pc to 226,588nt, both compared to the same year-ago month. Sheets and strip galvanized hot dipped decreased only by 0.1pc in April against the same month last year.
Compared to the same month a year ago, oil country goods (OCTG) fell by 16.4pc to 122,397nt, plates in coils rose by 18.6pc to 116,296nt, rebar imports rose by 11.6pc to 115,171nt, cold rolled sheet (CRC) dropped by 13.9pc to 98,136nt, and sheets and strip all other metals climbed by 28.4pc to 85,421nt in April 2021.
Among the top three importing countries last month, South Korea’s shipments increased by 22.2pc to 263,000nt, Japan’s rose by 13.1pc to 88,000nt, and Turkey climbed by 26.5pc to 63,000nt, all against the same year-ago month.
In monthly terms, semi-finished steel imports rose by 89.3pc in April against March while HRC rose by 19.1pc, sheets and strip galvanized fell by 19.9pc, OCTG dropped by 4.2pc, and rebar declined by 18.6pc in the same period under comparison.