Steel imports to USA increased 2% in November over October according to preliminary government data. Both NAFTA totals and non-NAFTA imports were essentially unchanged in the month to month comparison as consumers continued to show caution in their import ordering.
Imports for the year-to-date period were 17% higher in the first 11 months of 2012 compared to 2011.
Total Steel imports in November 2012 were 2.659 million net tons (Mston) compared to 2.606Mston in October 2012, a 2% increase, and a 25.4% increase compared to November 2011. For the year-to-date period, total imports increased from 26.451Mstons in the first eleven months of 2011 to 30.952Mston in the same period 2012, a 17% increase. The data show that imported semi finished products increased by 42.9% in November 2012 compared to November 2011, from 470kston in 2011 to 672kston in 2012 and for the year to date period increased from 6.194Mston to 6.961Mston.
Imports from China grew 10.2% m-o-m to 145kston, but the figure represented only 5.4% of total imports in November, the EU providing the greatest share at 441kston, followed by Canada (426kston), Brazil (322kston), Korea (285kston, Russia (251kston) and Mexico (231kston).
Source AIIS