Finished Import Market Share Estimated at 15 Percent in December

Washington, D.C. - Based on the Commerce Department's most recent Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis (SIMA) data, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported today that steel import permit applications for the month of December totaled 1,670,000 net tons (NT)*. This was a 0.8% decrease from the 1,684,000 permit tons recorded in November and a 1.9% increase from the November final imports total of 1,639,000. Import permit tonnage for finished steel in December was 1,206,000, up 11.2% from the final imports total of 1,085,000 in November. Full year 2025 (including December SIMA permits), total and finished steel imports were 25,334,000 NT and 18,711,000 NT, down 12.2% and 16.8%, respectively, from the same period in 2024. The estimated finished steel import market share in December was 15% and is 18% for full year 2025.

Steel imports with large increases in December permits vs. November final imports include reinforcing bars (up 229%), wire rods (up 59%), plates in coils (up 38%), heavy structural shapes (up 36%) and hot rolled bars (up 29%). Products with a significant increase for the full year of 2025 vs. 2024 include stainless pipe and tube (up 34%), tin plate (up 24%), line pipe (up 17%), wire rods (up 14%) and oil country goods (up 14%).

In December, the largest steel import permit applications were for Brazil (227,000 NT, down 8% from November final imports), Canada (223,000 NT, down 13%), South Korea (205,000 NT, up 25%), Mexico (188,000 NT, up 14%) and Japan (80,000 NT, up 11%). For full year 2025, the largest suppliers were Canada (4,513,000 NT, down 31%), Brazil (4,095,000 NT, down 9%) and Mexico (2,874,000 NT, down 18%).

*Note that import permits data are counts of tonnages requested in applications for licenses to import steel products and are not actual import volumes. For a number of reasons, permit tonnages may understate or overstate actual import volumes for the month, preliminary estimates of which will be available later this month.

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Contact: Lisa Harrison

202.452.7115 / [email protected]

AISI serves as the voice of the American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice. AISI's membership is comprised of integrated and electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmakers, steel pipe and tube manufacturers and steel processors and fabricators, reflecting the production and distribution of both carbon and stainless steels. These steels are critical to America's national and economic security, including roads and bridges, buildings, the electrical grid, cars and trucks and all clean energy technologies. AISI also represents associate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry. For more news about steel and its applications, view AISI's website at www.steel.org. Follow AISI on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter (@AISISteel) or Instagram.