Based on reported import licenses, US long products imports fell 17% from 239,000 short tons in May to 199,000 tons in June. In comparison, June long products imports in 2011 were 267,000 tons, in 2010 220,000 tons, in 2009 104,000 tons, in 2008 269,000 tons, and in 2007 496,000 tons.
Imports of all long products categories dropped but the highest month-on-month declines by volume came from merchant bar, which dropped by 12,000 tons or 40%, and rebar, which dropped by 9,000 tons or 12%.
July long products licenses reported up to July 18th were 101,000 tons, which is likely to mean that full-month July imports will be about the same as June’s.
Based on reported import licenses, US flat products imports fell 10% from 791,000 short tons in May to 709,000 tons in June. In comparison, June flat products imports in 2011 were 734,000 tons, in 2010 526,000 tons, and in 2009 252,000 tons.
Driving the lower imports were hot rolled and hot dip galvanized imports which both dropped by about 32,000 tons. Cut plate and cold rolled imports also fell.
I will update the spreadsheet below when licenses are updated next week in order to show mid-July import license data.
China crude steel production in May was 61.23 million metric tonnes, 2% higher than in the same month last year. Year-to-date Chinese crude production was 296.01 million tonnes, 1% higher than year-to-May 2011 output.
Looking at consecutive months, however, average daily production fell by 2% between April and May 2012 due to the longer May month. In addition, China’s net exports in May were 3.91 million tonnes, 0.37 million tonnes higher than net exports in April.
Worldsteel published May’s global crude steel production on June 20th. World crude production reached 130.6 million metric tonnes, a rise of 0.6% compared to May 2011 for the 62 countries reporting. Average daily production dropped by 1.8% compared to April 2012.
China production rose from April’s 60.6 to 61.2 million tonnes, but due to the comparison with the short April month, daily production dropped by 2%. The United States also showed a significant 5% drop in the daily production rate between April and May.
As usual, all the data for May 2012 (and for a number of prior years) is generously shared in the Nerds spreadsheet below.
Based on reported import licenses, US long products imports dropped 29% from 329,000 short tons in April to 232,000 tons in May. In comparison, May long products imports in 2011 were 252,000 tons, in 2010 236,000 tons, in 2009 98,000 tons, in 2008 242,000 tons, and finally in 2007 591,000 tons. Rebar and wire rod imports dropped each by about 50,000 tons, driving the overall fall.
I can’t publish the mid-month June license figures yet because the figures usually published weekly this past Tuesday June 19th have not been reported.
China crude steel production in April was 60.58 million metric tonnes, a record 2.02 million tonnes per day and 3% higher than last year April’s production of 59.03 million tonnes. Year-to-date crude production in China is 234.72 million tonnes, 1% higher than year-to-April 2011 output. In addition, China’s net exports in April were 3.54 million tonnes, 0.22 million tonnes lower than net exports in March.
I will continue to do a monthly China production data post separately from the regular monthly worldsteel production posts. Feel free to send me any comments.
