WASHINGTON (Scrap Register): Based on preliminary Census Bureau data, the American Iron and Steel Institute reported that the US imported a total of 1,553,000 net tons of steel in December 2019, including 1,347,000 net tons of finished steel (down 0.5% and up 1.2%, respectively, vs. November final data).

For full year 2019 total and finished steel imports are 27,905,000 net tons and 21,042,000 net tons, down 17.3% and 18.1%, respective, vs. 2018. Finished steel import market share was an estimated 15% in December and is estimated at 19% for full year 2019.

For full year 2019, the largest offshore suppliers were South Korea (2,576,000 net tons, down 7%vs. the same period in 2018), Japan (1,242,000 net tons, down 10%), Germany (1,048,000 net tons, down 22%), Taiwan (828,000 NT, down 23%) and Vietnam (663,000 net tons, down 40%). Below are charts on estimated steel import market share in recent months and on finished steel imports from offshore by country.