Dive Brief:

• The amount of foreign steel entering the United States inched nearly 6% higher in April from the previous month, but remains about 30% lower on a year-to-date basis as Section 232 tariffs continue to disrupt trade flows and support domestic steel production.
• Total imports for the month reached 1.87 million net tons, driven by increased imports of tin plate, metallic coatings, reinforcing bars and other goods, according to recent Census Bureau data compiled by the American Iron and Steel Institute. That included 1.38 million net tons of finished steel.
• The largest supplier countries in April were South Korea, Canada, Brazil, Mexico and Vietnam, in that order, according to census data. From January to April, imports totaled 6.97 million net tons compared to 9.89 million net tons for the same period a year ago. 

Dive Insight:

The sharp decline in steel imports signals that the Trump administration’s Section 232 tariffs on foreign metals are “working as intended,” Brandon Farris, executive vice president of the Steel Manufacturers Association, said in an emailed statement. Meanwhile, domestic steel production has increased by nearly 5 million tons since the start of 2025.

“That’s good for American workers, their families and their communities,” Farris said. 

Shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump imposed Section 232 tariffs on aluminum, steel and derivative products on Feb. 10, 2025. He later increased those tariffs to 50% on June 3, 2025, before adding copper to the list and making a number of adjustments, citing efforts to address “national security threats” and “low-priced foreign imports.”

Earlier this week, Trump signed a proclamation that lowered Section 232 tariffs on agricultural and industrial equipment and machinery from 25% to 15%. He also made it so international companies could qualify for a 10% tariff if their product was primarily made of U.S. steel or aluminum.

In addition to tariffs, Morningstar analyst Seth Goldstein said disruptions from the Iran war are forcing companies to take on extra costs, such as fuel surcharges, and affecting their sourcing strategies.

“We could see some importers of steel and other commodities looking to maybe wait for a resolution, wait ‘til supply chains normalize, in order to not basically be buying inventory during what might be uptake pricing for the year,” Goldstein said.

At the same time, domestic production is on the rise. U.S. manufacturers have processed 38.93 million net tons of raw steel since January, up 6.8% from the same period a year ago, according to recent preliminary data from AISI that ended May 30. U.S. Steel, Century Aluminum and Hyundai Steel are moving forward with plans to increase domestic steelmaking capacity.

Although the U.S. surpassed Japan to become the third-largest steel producer in the world last year, Farris said foreign competition remains.

“Some foreign steel producers are absorbing the tariff costs to maintain their foothold in the U.S. market, underscoring the need for continued vigilance in enforcing trade rules,” he said.