Wire Rod licenses for the month of September through the 14^th, totaled 56,952 tons, plummeting 67.2% from the year to date through August average of 173,561 tons. On a year to date (YTD), year on year, (y/y) basis licensed import volume was 1,445,440 tons, almost the same as the 1,446,174 tons in YTD 2016.

Figure 1 shows total Wire Rod licenses through September for both 2016 and 2017 as reported by the Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMA).

Figure 2 charts the YTD total by country for 2016 and 2017. Canada’s license requests through September 14^th totaled total 383,622 tons, down 2.1% or 8,106 tons YTD y/y. Canada has only requested 5,509 tons of licenses thus far in September, down 58.3% from its YTD average through August of 47,264 tons. Japan’s YTD date license requests stood at 217,731 tons, down 15.8% from the 256,611 YTD y/y volume in 2016.  For September to date, Japan’s requests were for 9,490 tons, down 63.5% from YTD average through August of 26,030 tons. Ukraine’s license requests YTD were 104,439, down 22.9%, 31,022 tons YTD y/y. Ukraine’s has not asked for any licensed tons since June. Brazil was the next largest exporter with 138,988 tons YTD, up 44.5% from YTD 2016 level of 96,181 tons. September to date license requests are for 30,641 tons, 55.8% higher than the 13,543 ton YTD average through August.

Turkey’s YTD date license requests was for 104,591 tons, up 25,530 tons y/y or +32.2%. For July through September to date, Turkey requested zero tons. Its YTD average through August was 14,942 tons. Germany’s licensed tons were 111,919 YTD 2017, up 68,157 tons +131.7% YTD y/y. Germany’s licensed volume for September was down to just 725 tons, far lower than its YTD average through August of 13,899 tons. So far in 2017 Russia has licensed 57,504 tons compared to 90,064 tons for the first eight months of 2016, down 36.2% y/y. Russia has not requested any licenses for wire rod tons since July.

The next 14 largest exporting countries (including: Korea, Spain, Mexico, UK, Belarus, Italy, South Africa, Egypt, India, Morocco, Taiwan, France and the Netherlands), of wire rod to the US combined to ship 326,646 tons YTD in 2017, The combined license requests through September 14^th was for 10,587 tons, down sharply from the YTD average through August of 39,507 tons.

At Gerdau we closely follow trade in long products steel since it has a profound impact on domestic market share and material pricing. We want you, our valued customers to have access to current information that can help you better plan and operate your businesses.