U.S.A. Preliminary steel imports decline 14% in October

U.S.A. Preliminary steel imports decline 14% in October.

Based on preliminary Census Bureau data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported that the US imported a total of 1,791,000 net tons (NT) of steel in October, including 1,489,000 NT of finished steel (down 14% and 6% respectively, from September final data). Annualized total and finished steel imports in 2010 would be 24.2 and 18.9 million NT, respectively, up 49% and 33% vs. 2009.
Since a year-high finished steel import share of 24% in July, import share has averaged around 20% over the past three months and was an estimated 19% in October, vs. a low of 15% in August 2009. For the year-to-date, finished steel import market share is 21%. hi the first 10 months of 2010, total and finished steel imports are up 50% and 31%, respectively, compared to the same period last year.

Key finished steel products with increases in October 2010 compared to September include:
Heavy structural shapes (up 57%)
Standard pipe (up 35%)
Hot dipped galvanized sheet and strip (up 21%)
Wire drawn (up 16%) Many finished steel products have registered large year to date import increases in 2010 vs. the same period last year, including: Wire rods (up 91%)
Hot rolled sheets (up 42%)

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