Sep. US steel import hiked 23.5% m-o-m

October 28 MetalBiz--Data from US Commerce Department showed that US imported 1.092mln tons of steel in September 2009, down 59.2% year on year and up 23.5% month on month. US imported steel of 10.70mln tons accumulatively in the first nine months, down 51.5% year on year.

In September, semi-finished products, steel pipe, HRC, CRC, hot-dipped galvanizing and heavy and medium plate enjoyed apparent import increase month on month, thereinto, HRC and CRC import inclined significantly for two-consecutive-months. Debar import dropped dramatically for two consecutive months. Compared with last year, the import of all products decreased greatly.

From import countries and regions, the import from North America, EU, Japan and China boosted significantly in September, while the imported steel from S.Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and Central South America slumped. In comparison with the same period last year, the import from all countries and regions take on dramatic drops.

The latest import licenses indicated that till October 27, US steel import reached 962,000 tons in September 2009, higher than the licenses in the same period of September. US steel import is estimated to keep upward tendency in October.