Steel imports increase in October 2025

Finished steel imports' market share stands at 19 percent year to date.

stacks of rebar

shubas | stock.adobe.com

The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) says the U.S. imported a total of 1.73 million net tons (NT) of steel in October 2025, including 1.34 million net tons (NT) of finished steel, an increase of 11 percent and 12.9 percent, respectively, compared with September 2025, per final U.S. Census Bureau data.

Total and finished steel imports are down 10.7 percent and 14 percent, respectively, through October 2025 compared with the first 10 months of 2024. Over the 12-month period from November 2024 to October 2025, total and finished steel imports are down 8.9 percent and 10.7 percent, respectively compared with the prior 12-month period. Finished steel import market share was an estimated 16 percent in October 2025 and is estimated at 19 percent over the first 10 months of 2025, Washington-based AISI says.

Key steel products with a significant import increase in October of last year compared with September are wire rods (up 105 percent), reinforcing bars (up 68 percent), sheets and strip all other metallic coated (up 45 percent), hot-rolled sheets (up 28 percent) and oil country goods (up 22 percent), according to AISI. Products with a significant increase in imports from November 2024 to October 2025 compared with the previous 12-month period include tin plate (up 39 percent), line pipe (up 17 percent), oil country goods (up 17 percent) and wire rods (up 15 percent).

In October of last year, the largest suppliers of steel to the U.S. were Canada (311,000 NT, unchanged from September), Brazil (294,000 NT, up 68 percent), Mexico (154,000 NT, up 6 percent), South Korea (128,000 NT, down 47 percent) and Taiwan (96,000 NT, up 139 percent), AISI reports. For the 12 months from November 2024 to October 2025, the largest suppliers were Canada (5.03 million NT, down 24 percent compared with the previous 12-months), Brazil (4.04 million NT, down 16 percent), Mexico (3.13 million NT, down 9 percent), South Korea (2.72 million NT, down 4 percent) and Taiwan (1.15 million NT, up 27 percent).

AISI’s full statistical report can be accessed here.