US steel imports rise 5 percent in September - AISI

The Steel Institute of Steel (AISI) said the US imported a total of 3.892 million tonnes of steel in September 2014, up 5.2 percent from August this year and 31 percent from last. The market share of finished products imports was approximately 29 percent in September and is estimated at 27 percent YTD.

The main steel products with a significant increase in imports in September compared to August are: wire rod (up to 37 percent), cold-rolled sheets (up to 36 percent), hot-rolled sheets (up to 28 percent), sheet metal (up to 16 percent) and galvanized sheets and strips ( up to 13 percent).

In September, the largest volumes of finished steel imports came from Asia and Europe. 385 thousand tons were imported from South Korea, which is 15 thousand percent more than in August. Deliveries from China totaled 328 tons, up 44 percent. Imports from Russia amounted to 178 thousand tons, showing an increase of up to 72 percent. Exports from Turkey increased by 17 percent and amounted to 74 thousand tons, and from Japan - 173 thousand tons with an increase of up to 5 percent.

In the nine months of 2014, the largest suppliers were: South Korea from 4.013 million tons, up 45 percent; China from 2.342 million tons, an increase of up to 70 percent; Japan from 1.529 million tons, up percent; Turkey 1.48 million tons, an increase of 47 percent, and Russia from 1.081 million tons, an increase of 504 percent.