US steel imports saw a sharp 43.9% increase in January compared to December, according to preliminary data from the US Department of Commerce. A total of 2,790,285 metric tons of steel were imported, marking a 20.5% year-on-year rise. In terms of value, US steel imports amounted to $3.09 billion in January, up from $2.33 billion in December and $2.88 billion in January 2024.
The top sources for US steel imports in January included Canada (588,903 mt), Brazil (531,053 mt), Mexico (428,740 mt), South Korea (295,922 mt), Japan (88,269 mt), and Germany (87,897 mt).
By product category, semi-finished imports rose sharply to 678,697 mt in January, up from 268,859 mt in December and 560,957 mt a year earlier. Flat product imports also increased to 922,377 mt, compared to 874,434 mt in December and 900,994 mt last January. Long product imports rose to 550,098 mt, and pipe and tube imports reached 529,099 mt, both showing significant increases from the previous month and year.
Vietnam Steel by Hoa Sen Group
