Posted on 07 Oct 2016
Based on the most recent Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis (SIMA) data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported today that the U.S. steel import permit applications for the month of September this year totaled 2,846,000 net tons (NT) of steel. The import permits tons recorded 7% fall when compared with 3,066,000 permit tons recorded in August this year. The figure is significantly lower by 5% when compared with the August preliminary imports total of 2,989,000 net tons.
The import permit tonnage of finished steel totaled 2,090,000 net tons during September, down by 9% when matched with the preliminary imports total of 2,307,000 net tons in August.
The total and finished steel imports for the initial nine-month period of the current year totaled 24,808,000 and 19,691,000 net tons (NT), down by 20% and 22% respectively, vs. the same period in 2015. It must be noted that the above figures are inclusive of August preliminary data and September SIMA permits. Finished steel import market share was estimated at 25% in September and at 25% during the initial nine-month period of the year.
Key finished steel products with a significant increase in import permits during September this year when compared to August preliminary import are sheets and strip galvanized electrolytic (up 82%), oil country goods (up 20%) and sheets and strip all other metallic coatings (up 15%). The imports of reinforcing bars registered highest increase year-on-year during Jan-Sep ’16.
In September, the largest number of import permit applications were for South Korea (288,000 NT, down 14% from August preliminary), Japan (161,000 NT, down 9%), Turkey (159,000 NT, down 12%), Germany (113,000 NT, down 12%) and Vietnam (109,000 NT, up 2%).
For first nine months of 2016, the largest overseas suppliers of finished steel to the US were South Korea (2,994,000 NT, down 18% from the same period in 2015), Turkey (1,853,000 NT, down 9%) and Japan (1,403,000 NT, down 14%).
Meantime, the weekly statistics released by the steel body indicates that raw steel production by the country increased marginally by 0.4% during the week ending October 1st, 2016.
The total domestic raw steel output during the week ending October 1st was 1,611,000 net tons. The AISI data indicates that the US raw steel production has improved slightly by 0.4% during the week. This is in comparison with the previous week (ie., the week ended September 24th) production figures of 1,605,000 net tons. However, the weekly production represents modest decline of 4.5% in comparison with production of 1,687,000 net tons during same week the previous year.
The capability utilization rate of US steel makers was 68.9% during the week ended October 1st, 2016. The capacity utilization rate has improved marginally when compared with 68.6% during the previous week (ie., the week ending September 24th). However, capacity utilization was lower when compared with the rate of 70.5% during same week the previous year.
The crude steel production by various districts during the week was as follows:- North East (193,000 NT), Great Lakes (671,000 NT), Midwest (163,000 NT), Southern (512,000 NT) and Western (72,000 NT).
The year-to-date crude steel output through October 1st totaled 67,178,000 net tons, marginally down by nearly 1.8% when matched with the output of 68,434,000 net tons during the same period last year. The capacity utilization rate during the period was down slightly from 72.1% a year before to 71.8% during the period ended Oct 1st this year.
About AISI
AISI serves as the voice of the North American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice. AISI also plays a lead role in the development and application of new steels and steelmaking technology. AISI is comprised of 19 member companies, including integrated and electric furnace steelmakers, and approximately 125 associate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry.
