Based on reported import licenses, US long steel products imports rose 10.1% from 261,000 short tons in June to 287,000 tons in July. Of all longs product categories, wire rod had the largest increase in import licenses due to higher volumes from Brazil. Long products imports in July were 12.2% lower, however, than in July 2018.
Based on January to June imports and July import licenses, long products imports in the first seven months of 2019 were 6.5% lower than in the same period last year with the highest volume declines coming from merchant bar (-49% on last year), rebar (-4%), and parallel flange sections (-10%).
SIMA long products import licenses
January 2013 to July 2019
Short tons
Image of Longfellow Bridge, Boston, MA, from Massachusetts Department of Transportation https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Longfellow_Bridge_Span_1_Structural_Steel_(26770254833).jpg
Based on reported import licenses, US flat steel products imports fell 19% from 853,000 short tons in July 2018 to 688,000 tons in July 2019. The decline was mainly due to lower hot rolled imports, but hot dip galvanized and cold rolled imports also fell.
Based on January to June imports and July import licenses, flat products imports in the first seven months of 2019 were 21% lower than in the same period last year with the highest volume decline coming from hot rolled, down 26% on last year, while cold rolled imports fell 22%, hot dip imports fell 19%, and cut plate imports rose 1%.
SIMA US flat products imports licenses
January 2013 to July 2019
short tons
Image of steel/other rail transport at Sino-Russian border by bob rayner from UK on Wikimedia Commons at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Zaibaikalsk.jpg#filelinks
Worldsteel reported crude steel production in China at 87.5 million metric tonnes in June, 10.0% higher than in June 2018. Chinese output over the first six months of 2019 was 10.2% higher than in the same period last year.
China’s General Administration of Customs reported Chinese net finished steel exports (exports minus imports) in June at 4.4 million tonnes, 26.1% lower than in June 2018. Net exports in the first six months of 2019 were 0.7% lower than in the first six months of 2018.
China monthly crude steel production 2006 to 2019
Thousand metric tonnes
Image of the Beijing Olympic Stadium under construction in 2007 from Wikimedia Commons by Saccerzd at English Wikipedia [CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)]
China accounted for 55% of world production in June with output of 87.5 million tonnes, 10.0% higher than in June 2018. Asian production outside of China was flat (-0.01%), with an increase in Indian production (+4.0%) offsetting declines in other Asian countries (South Korea -2.6%, Pakistan -36.7%, and Thailand -29.6%).
European Union production fell 3.0% on last June following a 5.8% decline in Germany. In North American, US production rose 3.1% while Canadian output fell 7.6% and Mexican output fell 9.1%. Other important changes around the world include an 11.% drop in Turkey and a 2.6% decline in Russia.
Scrap metal waiting to be recycled into new steel at Nucor, South Carolina Image from Worldsteel Image Library by worldsteel/Roger Ball, Image ID 367
Based on reported import licenses, US long steel products imports rose 39% year-on-year from 190,000 short tons in June 2018 to 264,000 tons in June 2019. The increase was mainly due to higher rebar and parallel flange sections imports, while wire rod and merchant bar imports declined June-on-June.
Based on January to May imports and June import licenses, long products imports in the first six months of 2019 were 5% lower than in the same period last year, with the highest volume declines coming from merchant bar (-50% on last year), parallel flange sections (-11%), structural angles & channles (-47%), and light shapes (-32%).
SIMA long products imports licenses
January 2013 to June 2019
short tons
Image from Wikimedia Commons by Idus Druida [Public domain] at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Palanquilla.jpg
Based on reported import licenses, US flat steel products imports fell 8% from 642,000 short tons in May to 588,000 tons in June. Compared to June imports last year, June 2019 licenses show a 21% drop, with the largest decline coming from hot dip galvanized imports, down 36%.
Based on January to May imports and June licenses, flat products imports so far this year are 22% lower than in the first six months of 2018, with imports of hot roll down 26%, cold roll down 22%, hot dip galvanized down 20% and cut plate down 7%.
