Imports of steelmaking raw materials into the United States fell by 12.9% month on month in June, with a sharp drop in pig iron deliveries outweighing a rise in shipments of ferrous scrap and direct-reduced iron (DRI), according to the latest US Census Bureau figures.
Raw material imports totaled 654,484 tonnes in June, down from 751,732 tonnes in May but up slightly from 647,529 tonnes in April.Lower pig iron imports drove the decline; shipments of the raw material tumbled by 42.6% in June to 292,052 tonnes from 509,109 tonnes in May.That drop overpowered the impact of a 17.9% rise in ferrous scrap volumes - to 236,852 tonnes in June from 200,818 tonnes in May - and a surge in DRI imports - to 125,580 tonnes from...