U.S. Steel Merchant Final Imports: Final merchant imports to the U.S. came in at 42,236 tons in May 2021, increasing 11% month over month (m/m).

Figure 1 further breaks down total merchant imports from January 2019 – May 2021. When looking at the current year, we see that imports reached their peak in March at 44,908 tons.

Figure 2 charts the largest exporting countries in rank order through May. Mexico and Canada, combined, account for 89% of the total this month. Mexico was the largest exporter with 20,317 tons; Canadian imports came in at 17,312 tons.

Figure 3 charts the largest imports by district of entry into the U.S. in rank order. Laredo, TX was the largest receiver of merchants this month, receiving 12,634 tons of the total. Detroit, MI was a close second, coming in at 12,331 tons, while El Paso, TX was the third-largest receiver, coming in at 6,938 tons. Together, these top three receiving ports collected 76% of all U.S. merchant imports.

At Gerdau, we closely follow trade in long product 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.