US flat steel and rebar imports pulled back in August compared with the previous year, with President Donald Trump's steel tariffs allowing domestic producers to capture market share.
Total steel imports fell to 1.69mn metric tonnes (t) in August 2025, down 22pc from the previous year and the second-straight month of annual declines. Steel imports declined on an annual basis in six of the last seven months in a continued sign that Trump's Section 232 tariffs on steel imports stunted demand for imported supply.
Hot rolled coil (HRC) imports in August totaled 75,317t, down 38pc year over year and the sixth-straight month of annual declines.
Cold-rolled coil (CRC) imports totaled 83,759t in August, a 41pc decline from the previous year, while hot-dipped galvanized (HDG) imports of 116,123t marked a 53pc decline from the year before.
CRC and HDG imports fell seven and nine months in a row, respectively, on an annual basis.
Domestic producers captured domestic market share in the wake of vanishing imports, but domestic demand was sluggish through the summer and into September. Domestic mills' aggressive competition to secure new business eroded domestic prices as a result and further challenged importers trying to retain a foothold in the US.
Traders offered imported HRC at $780/short ton (st) ddp Houston during the week of 15-19 September, according to Argus, while older inventory was being offered at even lower prices. Traders said that even though these prices were comparable or even below domestic prices, buyers were not seriously entertaining the offers.
Buyers instead prioritized domestic volume that was viewed as a more consistent option for volume and pricing in the long-run and readily available with short lead times. A trader, by comparison, this week said offers from South Asia were around $835/st ddp Houston and would not arrive until December or January, too high a price and too long a wait for any US customers to accept.
HDG imported prices, meanwhile, remain above domestic prices with little room to budge for the time being. Traders in both flat markets said domestic prices would need to rise first for imported steel offers to be credible again.
Imports of blooms, billets, slabs declined 14.3pc to 418,913t year over year in August, the first annual decline in five months.
Steel tariffs continued to stunt the rebar import market as well. Rebar imports fell to 36,017t in August, 43pc lower than the previous year and only a little over half the total imported just the month prior.
| US preliminary steel imports | metric tonnes | |||
| Product | August 2025 Preliminary | August 2024 Final | YoY ±% | July 2025 Final |
| Total (all items)* | 1,692,269.0 | 2,155,665.0 | -21.5% | 2,034,212.0 |
| Flat-rolled | ||||
| Hot-rolled coil (HRC) | 75,317.0 | 122,190.0 | -38.4% | 99,084.0 |
| Cold-rolled coil (CRC) | 83,759.0 | 142,925.0 | -41.4% | 122,891.0 |
| Hot-dipped galvanized (HDG) | 116,123.0 | 249,064.0 | -53.4% | 140,183.0 |
| All other metallic coating | 53,064.0 | 120,338.0 | -55.9% | 76,976.0 |
| Blooms, billets, slabs | 418,913.0 | 488,822.0 | -14.3% | 502,152.0 |
| Long | ||||
| Rebar | 36,017.0 | 63,287.0 | -43.1% | 60,846.0 |
| Wire rod | 109,601.0 | 68,082.0 | 61.0% | 103,798.0 |
| US Department of Commerce: June 2024 data is preliminary, which is subject to change. | ||||
| *Total includes all steel products tracked by the US Census Bureau | ||||
