Data released by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reveals that in 2017 total steel imports increased 15% and finished steel imports were up 12%, garnering a 27% share of apparent steel supply.
The USA shipped 90.9Mt (net tons), up 5% from 2016, but 2% lower than the most recent five-year average of 93Mt (net tons).
In 2017 US raw steel production was 90Mt (net tons), up 4% from 2016.
Construction and automotive were the leading end-use markets for shipments of US steel, claims the AISI.
Thomas J Gibson, president and CEO of the AISI, commented: “The steel industry is a large part of the economic dialogue nationally and globally, and the AISI Annual Statistical Report is a critical source of industry data. The ASR serves as a comprehensive and reliable reference for steel industry statistics, including an executive summary that highlights trends in the North American steel industry.”
The 2017 Annual Statistical Report can be purchased by visiting https://www.platts.com/products/steel-data-analysis