US imports of ferrous scrap and metallics rose in February 2020 as increased scrap and pig iron volumes outweighed reduced HBI/DRI tonnage.
Total scrap and metallics imports for the month measured 740,000t, about a 5pc increase from February 2019, according to data from the US Department of Commerce. Year-to-date totals through February rose by nearly 28pc compared to last year.
Scrap
US imports of ferrous scrap rose by around 21pc to 337,000t in February compared to a year earlier.
The US received three deep sea cargoes in the month, up from two in February 2019. One 40,000t shipment from the Netherlands sailed to Charleston, South Carolina. Two ships, including a 30,000t vessel from Sweden and a 21,000t vessel from the UK, sailed to New Orleans in February.
Imports from North American neighboring countries rose as well. US imports of Canadian scrap rose by 13pc to nearly 209,000t, while Mexican-origin scrap imports increased by 3pc to around 26,000t.
Year-to-date scrap imports declined by 8pc to 614,000t from 670,000t.
Metallics
US imports of metallics fell by nearly 6pc to 403,000t from a year ago on lower HBI/DRI volumes. Year-to date volumes increased by 59pc through February compared to the same period in 2019.
Pig iron imports into the US climbed by 17pc to 336,500t versus the same month a year ago, bolstered by higher amounts of Russian and Ukrainian-origin shipments amid an absence of Brazilian cargoes.
Pig iron imported from Russia ticked up by 19pc to 162,000t. Ukraine volumes more than doubled to nearly 159,000t. South Africa provided almost 12,000t, up from none in February 2019.
Year-to-date pig iron shipments rose to 991,000t from 449,000t in January through February 2019.
HBI/DRI volumes fell by over half to around 66,000t from 142,000t a year prior, a seven-month low.
The reduced output was attributed solely to Nucor's Trinidad and Tobago DRI plant, which provided 99pc of the import volumes in February.
The plant was [shut down on 6 April](direct.argusmedia.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article/2093972) in compliance with government orders in the face of Covid-19, potentially setting up a significant drop in DRI/HBI imports in April. A Russian shipment in May 2019 was the last time a country besides Trinidad and Tobago delivered HBI/DRI into a US port.
Year-to-date volumes for HBI/DRI declined by nearly 27pc to 235,000t from January through February 2019.
