Based on reported import licenses, US long steel products imports rose 24% from 198,000 short tons in October to 246,000 tons in November. The increase is mainly the result of higher wire rod imports from Germany, Venezuela, and Australia.
Based on January to October imports and November licenses, long products imports in the first eleven months of 2018 were 26% lower than in the same period last year with the largest volume declines coming from wire rod, down 25% and rebar, down 23%.
SIMA US long products imports licenses
2012 to 2018
short tons
Photo by Steel Construction [Public domain], da Wikimedia Commons
Based on reported import licenses, US flat steel products imports fell 18% from 893,000 short tons in October to 733,000 tons in November. While imports of all flat products categories fell, most of the decline was due to lower hot roll imports from South Korea, Canada and Egypt, as well as lower hot dip galvanized imports from South Africa, Turkey, Vietnam, and the United Arab Emirates.
Based on January to October imports and November licenses, flat products imports for the first eleven months of 2018 were 5% lower than in the same period last year with a rise in hot roll imports (+18%) offsetting a decline in cold roll (-24%), hot dip galvanized (-12%), and cut plate imports (-21%).
SIMA US flat products import licenses
January 2013 to November 2018
short tons
Photo by the Theis Group [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons
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Worldsteel reported Chinese crude steel production at 82.6 million metric tonnes in October, 9.1% higher than in October 2017. Chinese output over the first ten months of 2018 was 6.4% higher than in the same period last year.
Chinese net finished steel exports (exports minus imports) in October were approximately 4.4 million tonnes, 9.2% higher than in October 2017. Net exports in the first ten months of 2018 were 11.1% lower than in the first ten months of 2017.
China monthly crude steel production
January 2006 to October 2018, thousand metric tonnes
Photo of Chongqing, China by ming chen [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons at https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Chongqing%2C_China.jpg
Worldsteel published October’s world crude steel production on November 23rd. World steel output was 156.6 million metric tonnes, 5.8% higher than in October 2017. Crude steel production in the first ten months of 2018 was 4.7% higher than in the same period last year.
China accounted for 53% of world output in October with production of 82.6 million tonnes, 9.1% higher than in October 2017. Asian output outside of China grew 3.4% on last October with increases in Vietnam (+123.3%), South Korea (+3.5%), and Taiwan (+9.7%) offset by a decline in Japan (-4.5%). European Union production fell 0.8%, and in North America, production rose 10.5% in the US, 1.1% in Mexico, and fell 14.6% in Canada. Other notable changes year-on-year include a 10.6% increase in Iran and a 4.3% decline in Turkey.
Close up of billets being cast on a 4 stand caster
Photo from Worldsteel Association Image Library by worldsteel/Roger Ball, Image ID:370
Based on reported import licenses, US long steel products imports fell 6% from 226,000 short tons in September to 213,000 tons in October. The decline is mainly the result of lower parallel flange sections imports from Luxembourg and lower rebar imports from Turkey.
Based on January-to-September imports and October licenses, long products imports in the first ten months of 2018 were 27% lower than in the same period last year with the largest volume declines coming from wire rod, down 31%, and rebar, down 21%.
SIMA US long products imports licenses
2012 to 2018
short tons
Photo of rebar on column of the eastern span rebuild of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge by Leonard G. – Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15223591
