US steel imports increased by 9pc to 1.49mn nt (1.36mn mt) in December, including 1.34mn nt of finished steel up by 13.5pc from November’s final data, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).
In 2020, the total US steel imports declined by 21.2pc to 22.02mn nt while total finished steel imports dropped by 23.3pc to 16.14mn nt compared to 2019. Finished steel imports accounted for 18pc of the domestic market share in 2020 as well as in December, AISI reported.
The main increases in December for finished steel imports occurred for line pipe, up 223pc; oil country goods, up 148pc; plates in coils, up 84pc; hot rolled sheets, up 36pc; hot rolled bars, up 15pc; cold rolled sheets, up 14pc; and tin plate, up 10pc, compared to November.
The highest December volumes of finished steel imports, compared to November, were from South Korea at 222,000nt, up by 75pc; The Netherlands at 86,000nt, rising 69pc; Germany, unchanged at 66,000nt; Japan at 56,000nt, up by 21pc; and Taiwan at 43,000nt gaining 1pc.
During January-December, the largest exporters to the US were South Korea at 2.02mn nt, falling by 22pc; Japan at 767,000nt down by 38pc; Germany at 725,000nt, declining by 31pc; Taiwan at 573,000nt, decreasing 31pc; and Turkey at 562,000nt up 72pc, compared to the same period in 2019.