The permits for finished steel and total steel in June increased compared with the previous month, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).
Citing figures from the latest Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis (SIMA) data released by the US Department of Commerce, AISI indicated that total steel import permits in June totaled 2.97mn nt (2.69mn mt), up 12.4pc from 2.64mn nt worth of permits in the previous month and up 17.5pc from May’s final imports.
Finished steel permits increased 6.8pc in June to 1.98mn nt compared with final imports total of 1.86mn nt in May.
From Jan-Jun, the total steel imports increased 19pc to 14.76mn nt compared with the same period in 2020, while finished steel imports went up 15.2pc to 9.96mn nt during the same timeframe.
The most sought after finished steel imports in June compared with the previous month include black plate, up 136pc; heavy structural shapes, up 53pc; oil country goods, up 38pc; cold rolled sheets, up 26pc; wire rods, up 18pc; reinforcing bars, up 17pc; hot rolled sheets, up 16pc; cut length plates, up 16pc; mechanical tubing, up 15pc; plates in coils, up 14pc; line pipe, up 13pc; and standard pipe, up 11pc.
Compared with Jan-June 2020, light shapes bars were up 55pc; hot rolled sheets, rose 54pc; plates in coils increased 41pc; cut length plates climbed 34pc; sheets and strips all other metallic coatings, up 31pc; wire rods, increased 25pc; tin plates were up 24pc; wire-drawn climbed 20pc; sheets and strip galvanized hot-dipped rose 12pc; and hot-rolled bars, up 10pc in the same period this year were the most sought after finished steel products.
In June South Korea remains the most sought-after destination for finished steel imports, up 50pc to 284,000nt compared with May, followed by Japan, up 15pc to 111,000nt; Germany, up 2pc to 99,000nt; Taiwan, up 13pc to 94,000nt; and the Netherlands, up 36pc to 86,000nt.
South Korea also continues to be the largest offshore steel provider for the first six months of 2021, with shipments from the destination totaling 1.34mn nt, up 19pc; followed by Japan at 514,000nt, up 19pc; and Germany at 414,000nt, up 10pc, all compared with the first six months of 2020.