US steel imports fell by 9.2pc to 1.37mn nt (1.24mn mt) in November, including 1.18mn nt of finished steel, falling 5.5pc against October’s final data, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).
In January-November, total US steel imports were down by 22.1pc to 20.53mn nt while total finished steel imports declined by 24.9pc to 14.8mn nt compared to the same period in 2019.
According to AISI, total steel imports in 2020 are estimated at 22.39mn nt, short by 19.8pc compared wiht 27.94mn nt in 2019.
Meanwhile, finished steel imports for 2020 are estimated at 16.14mn nt , a 23.3pc drop from 21.05mn nt during the prior year.
Finished steel imports accounted for 18pc of the domestic market share in the first 11 months and 17pc in November, AISI reported.
The main increases in November for finished steel imports were tin plate, up 43pc; standard pipe, increased 27pc; wire rods, up 21pc; and sheets and strip with all other metallic coatings were up 19pc, compared to October.
The highest November volumes of finished steel imports, compared to October, were from South Korea at 127,000nt, down 14pc; Germany at 67,000nt, down 1pc; Turkey at 53,000nt, declining by 23pc; the Netherlands at 51,000nt, up 82pc; and Japan at 46,000nt, short by 41pc.
During January-November, the largest exporters to the US were South Korea at 1.79mn nt, decreased 26pc; Japan at 711,000nt, down 40pc; Germany at 659,000nt, short 32pc; Turkey at 548,000nt, up 71pc; and Taiwan at 530,000nt, down by 34pc, compared to the same period in 2019.