AISI: U.S. Steel Imports Surge in January 2025, Finished Steel Market Share Hits 25%

According to preliminary data from the U.S. Census Bureau and a report from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), U.S. steel imports saw a significant increase in January 2025. A total of 3,065,000 net tons (NT) of steel were imported, representing a 20.2% increase compared to January 2024. Among these, 2,305,000 NT were finished steel products, up 26.5% from December 2024. This surge in imports signals the growing demand for steel products in the U.S. and reflects a notable uptick in global trade.

Notably, the finished steel market share for January 2025 reached an estimated 25%, underlining the importance of finished steel in the U.S. market. This is part of a broader trend, with finished steel imports also increasing by 20.3% when compared to the same month last year.

Product Categories with Significant Import Increases

Several steel product categories experienced remarkable increases in January 2025. Among the most significant gains were:

- Heavy Structural Shapes: Up 199% from December 2024.

- Reinforcing Bars: Up 191%.

- Blooms, Billets, and Slabs: Up 143%.

- Oil Country Goods: Up 121%.

- Line Pipe: Up 84%.

These sharp increases reflect heightened demand in sectors such as construction, infrastructure, and energy, as steel products are essential for a range of industrial applications.

Additionally, for the 12-month period from February 2024 to January 2025, several categories showed strong growth, including tin plate, which rose by 45%, sheets and strip all other metallic coated (up 40%), sheets and strip hot dipped galvanized (up 35%), cold rolled sheets (up 27%) and wire rods (22%).

Top Steel Suppliers

In January 2025, the U.S.’s largest steel suppliers were:

- Canada: 649,000 NT (up 25% vs. December 2024).

- Brazil: 585,000 NT (up a staggering 414%).

- Mexico: 470,000 NT (up 44%).

- South Korea: 326,000 NT (up 56%).

- Japan: 97,000 NT (up 29%).

Over the past 12 months (Feb 2024 - Jan 2025), Canada remained the largest supplier with 6,579,000 NT of steel (a 5% decline from the previous period). However, Brazil showed significant growth, exporting 4,615,000 NT (up 15%), while Mexico saw a slight decrease in exports, totaling 3,591,000 NT (down 13%).

Market Implications

The rise in steel imports underscores the continuing demand for various steel products across industries, particularly in construction, infrastructure, and manufacturing. The significant increase in imports from Brazil is especially noteworthy, with the country seeing a substantial uptick in shipments compared to the previous month.

As steel imports continue to play a critical role in the U.S. economy, the growing market share of finished steel highlights the evolving trade dynamics and the importance of maintaining a steady flow of materials for key industries.