Mills fret imports, despite 2005 dip

Tom Stundza -- Purchasing, 3/2/2006

U.S. Steelmakers continue their obsessive gripe about imports even though foreign mills reduced shipments by 11% in 2005 imports. The Census Bureau reports a total of 31.9 million net tons of steel were imported in 2005-6.9 million of semi-finished materials and 25 million of finished steel products. But the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) points out that finished steel imports in 2005 were the fifth highest ever, and complains that higher imports registered for oil country tubular goods, electrogalvanized sheet, bright bars, plate, tinplated steel and mechanical tubing.

"Overall import totals in 2005 showed only modest reductions from the high levels of 2004, even in a period of inventory reduction (by service centers) for a number of products," says John Surma, chief executive of U.S. Steel and chairman of the AISI. "There will be a need for ongoing, close vigilance of steel imports in the U.S. in 2006," says Andrew Sharkey, president of the American Iron and Steel Institute. This is due to excess steel capacity that already exists in China.