US Steel Exports Rise Slightly During June

The US Steel Institute for International Operations (AIIS) said in a statement that US Steel exports rose 0.5 percent in June 2014 from the previous month. At the same time, exports to the countries of NAFTA trading partners (Canada and Mexico) slightly decreased.

At the same time, the total export of steel across the country during June this year amounted to 1.04 million tons, which is 6 percent lower compared to the export for the same month last year. Exports to Mexico totaled 341,481 tons, down 6 percent from the previous month, but up 8 percent from the same month a year earlier. Exports to Canada were down 4 percent during the month to 536,502 net tonnes. At the same time, exports from the United States to Canada decreased by 7 percent compared to the same period last year.

The sharp decline in exports to NAFTA countries was offset by increased imports of US steel by other countries such as Brazil and Russia. Russian imports in June this year increased more than six times compared to the previous month to 6092 tons. Likewise, imports to Brazil more than doubled from the previous month to 19,891 tons. US steel exports to Asia and Africa also improved significantly during the month.

Cumulative US steel exports in the first half of this year were 6.06 million tonnes, down 6.5 from exports during the corresponding period last year. Over the period, exports to Canada decreased by 4 percent, while exports to Mexico increased by 2.5 percent.