Thursday, December 28, 2006
Steel Imports May Reach Record in 2006
Get our your crying towels, ladies and gentlemen.
The AISI wants us to feel sorry for them. Again. By every measure, the steel industry is doing better than they have in years. But crying towels are still needed. Tears, it seems, are not enough.
The United States is likely to import a record amount of steel this year, a sign that it needs to address unfair trade practices by China and other Asian exporters, the American Iron and Steel Institute said.The United States is likely to import a record amount of steel this year, a sign that it needs to address unfair trade practices by China and other Asian exporters, the American Iron and Steel Institute said.
Over much of the last year, North American steel was the most expensive steel in the world!
This table (data from MEPS) shows global prices and prices in the EU, Asia and North America for steel over the last year. The last column is how much more the N. American price was, compared to the global average.
The AISI wants us to feel sorry for them. Again. By every measure, the steel industry is doing better than they have in years. But crying towels are still needed. Tears, it seems, are not enough.
The United States is likely to import a record amount of steel this year, a sign that it needs to address unfair trade practices by China and other Asian exporters, the American Iron and Steel Institute said.The United States is likely to import a record amount of steel this year, a sign that it needs to address unfair trade practices by China and other Asian exporters, the American Iron and Steel Institute said.
Over much of the last year, North American steel was the most expensive steel in the world!
This table (data from MEPS) shows global prices and prices in the EU, Asia and North America for steel over the last year. The last column is how much more the N. American price was, compared to the global average.
| Month | Global | EU | Asia | N. Amer. | N. Amer. Premium |
| Jan-06 | 555 | 544 | 467 | 653 | 118% |
| Feb | 551 | 543 | 459 | 652 | 118% |
| Mar | 566 | 574 | 469 | 654 | 116% |
| Apr | 586 | 608 | 478 | 672 | 115% |
| May | 618 | 654 | 499 | 702 | 114% |
| Jun | 648 | 707 | 515 | 723 | 112% |
| Jul | 653 | 717 | 511 | 731 | 112% |
| Aug | 655 | 727 | 508 | 729 | 111% |
| Sep | 652 | 730 | 508 | 718 | 110% |
| Oct | 633 | 715 | 510 | 674 | 106% |
| Nov | 630 | 716 | 517 | 658 | 104% |
| Dec | 635 | 734 | 530 | 642 | 101% |
| Average | 615 | 684 | 111% |
