Steel Products Prices North America
June 13, 2021
May Exports Slip to Three-Month Low, But Still Strong Historically
Written by Brett Linton
U.S. steel exports declined 2% in May to 742,000 tons, according to recently released U.S. Department of Commerce trade data. Although down from the month prior, recall that March and April exports were at the two highest levels seen since June 2018. May marks the third highest monthly export level since June 2018. Of our six monitored product groups, four products were down month-over-month and two were up. In total, May 2021 exports are 98% higher than April 2020 levels.
Recall that 2020 saw a big swing in export levels: The year started strong, nearing 700,000 tons through March. Then the COVID-19 downturn choked exports in the summer months, with May levels reaching the lowest seen in SMU’s 24-year data history at 374,000 tons. Monthly export levels recovered each month afterward through October, reaching a 2.5-year high of 730,000 tons, but slowed again through the remaining months of the year.
