Steel Products Prices North America
May 29, 2014
Steel Imports: A Boon or Threat to the Economy
Written by Sandy Williams
Steel imports to the U.S. totaled 3.7 million net tons according to preliminary data from the US Census Bureau but the reaction to this data depends on one’s point of view. The American Institute for International Steel (AIIS) and the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) both came out with reports on April imports, but when comparing them, it is apparent the focus of the two organizations differs.
AIIS, a supporter of steel trade to the US, noted that Canada was the highest exporter of steel to the US followed by the EU, then Russia and China (both up more than 250 percent from April 2013). AIIS also noted that although steel imports surged in April, the year to date total is well below the first four months of 2013—a “stumble” for the first quarter as headlined in the article.
