Based on the Commerce Department’s most recent Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis (SIMA) data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported on May 2 that steel import permit applications for the month of April totaled 3,074,000 net tons (NT).
This was a 5-percent decrease from the 3,248,000 permit tons recorded in March and a 6-percent increase from the March preliminary imports total of 2,899,000 NT, according to AISI.
Import permit tonnage for finished steel in April was 2,394,000 NT, up 11 percent from the preliminary imports total of 2,163,000 NT in March, according to AISI.
The 2.4 million permit tons of finished steel imports in April was the highest monthly tonnage figure in more than 3-1/2 years (since October 2008).
April 2012 total and finished steel import permit tons would annualize at 34,529,000 NT and 26,534,000 NT, up 21 percent and 22 percent, respectively, vs. the 28,515,000 NT and 21,835,000 NT imported in 2011.
The estimated finished steel import market share in April rose to 25 percent, which is the highest level in the last nine months, AISI reports.
