Based on the U.S. Commerce Department’s most recent Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis (SIMA) data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported Dec. 7 that steel import permit applications for the month of November totaled 1,984,000 net tons (NT).  This was a 14 percent decrease from the 2,309,000 permit tons recorded in October and a 9% decrease from the October preliminary imports total of 2,192,000 NT.

Import permit tonnage for finished steel in November was 1,611,000 NT, down 8 percent from the preliminary imports total of 1,754,000 NT in October.

Year-to date (YTD) 2011 total and finished steel import permit tons would annualize at 28,545,000 NT and 21,899,000 NT, up 19 percent and 16 percent, respectively, vs. the 23,929,000 NT and 18,857,000 NT imported in 2010.

The estimated finished steel import market share in November was 20 percent and is 22 percent year-to-date.