US imports of steel appear to have slipped again year-to-date in November based on preliminary Census Bureau data, Kallanish learns from the American Iron and Steel Institute.

In the first 11 months of 2018, the US imported 31.83 million net tons, 24.01m nt of which was finished steel, down -10.8% and -13.2% respectively versus the same period in 2017.

The US imported a total of 2.38m nt of steel, 1.92m nt of which was finished in November itself. Those figures are down -27.2% and -4.1%, respectively versus October.

Heavy structural shape imports rose by 67% from October to November, while wire rods were up 57%. Hot rolled sheets and plates in coils were up up 22% and 16% respectively y-t-d versus the same period in 2017.

Finished steel import market share was an estimated 21% in November and is estimated at 23% y-t-d, AISI says.