Based on reported import licenses, US flat products imports rose 85% from 548,000 short tons in December, 2020 to 1,011,000 tons in December, 2021. Hot dip galvanized imports rose by the largest volume, increasing 125% compared to last December due a very large increase from Vietnam, but also from Turkey, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Mexico and South Africa. Hot rolled imports rose by almost the same volume as hot dip galvanized due mainly to higher volumes from Mexico, but also from Japan and Vietnam.
Based on January to November 2021 imports and December 2021 import licenses, US flat products imports in 2021 were 72% higher than in 2020 with cut plate imports +72%, hot rolled imports +120%, cold rolled imports +39% and hot dip galvanized imports +36%.
Steel Import Monitor US flat products import licenses
While US steelmaker scrap company acquisitions are in the news, you may be interested in scrap export data available in the Steel Data Room coming from the US Census Bureau’s USA Trade Online. The Data Room holds all US import and export trade data monthly in quantity and value by export district for all the 10-digit HTS codes related to steel and steel raw materials within Chapter 72 all the way back to January, 2013.
As you can see in the chart below, shredded steel scrap export volumes (left axis, yellow bars) have been volatile since the beginning of the year, with October, 2021 export volumes at 470,000 metric tonnes, while the export volume trend over the last 3 years is up. The rise in the export price (right axis, black line) is even more clear, from a value of US$274/metric tonne in October, 2020 to US$440/metric tonne in October, 2021. November, 2021 data will be available from USA Trade Online and in the Steel Data Room by the end of this week.
Worldsteel reported crude steel production in China at 69.3 million metric tonnes in November, 22.0% lower than in November, 2020. Chinese crude steel production in the first eleven months of 2021 was 3.4% lower than in the first eleven months of 2020.
Data from China’s General Administration of Customs show net finished steel exports (exports minus imports) in November at 2.9 million tonnes, 15% higher than in November, 2020. Net finished steel exports in the first eleven months of 2021 were 62% higher than in the same period last year.
China monthly crude steel production, 2006-2021
Thousand metric tonnes
Haikou New East Bridge viewed from the southwest, Xinbu Island, Haikou, Hainan, China by Anna Frodesiak, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
China produced 69.3 million tonnes in November, accounting for 48% of world output and falling 22.0% on November, 2020. In other parts of Asia, Indian steel production rose 2.2% on last November, Japanese output rose 10.7%, and South Korean production climbed 2.7%.
European Union 27 crude steel production rose 3.7% on last November. North American production rose 9.3% with US output up 13.8%. Other significant changes on last November include a 9.4% rise in Russia, a 6.1% increase in Turkey and a 5.2% decline in Iran.
Today’s hot topic in the steel industry is carbon emissions and the First River Steel Data Room has the data you are looking for. With information sourced from Investing.com, the Steel Data Room dataset “Historical Futures Contract Settlement Prices” contains futures prices daily from the Nymex exchange for European Union ETS carbon allowances for the period July, 2008 to the present.
ETS carbon emissions futures rose from €31 per metric tonne on December 21st, 2020 to €74 per metric tonne yesterday, an increase of 141%. Looking for other pricing information on steel and steelmaking input costs? The same dataset has futures prices for products from natural gas to scrap to rebar and hot rolled coil, all published daily, allowing your charts and dashboards to automatically update.
Based on reported import licenses, US long products imports increased 55% year-on-year from 225,000 short tons in November, 2020 to 348,000 tons in November, 2021. Licenses indicate that the rise was mainly due to higher rebar imports from Algeria, Mexico, and Portugal, as well as higher wire rod imports again from Algeria and Mexico. Licenses also indicate that parallel flange sections imports rose significantly from South Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates.
US long products imports in the first eleven months of 2021 were 35% higher than in the same period last year with the largest import volumes rising from wire rod (+54%) and rebar (+21%).
US long products import licenses
January 2015 to November 2021
Short tons
“First work train rides over new tracks leading from the 63rd st station on the Second Avenue Subway Project.”, New York 2015, by Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
