The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported that US steel import permit applications reached 1.996 million net tons in May, based on the Commerce Department’s latest Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis data.

The May total was 0.7% higher than April permit tonnage and 6.5% above April preliminary imports. Finished steel import permit tonnage reached 1.495 million net tons, up by 8.5% from April's preliminary finished steel imports. 

For the first five months of 2026, total steel imports and finished steel imports were both down by more than 27% compared with the same period in 2025. 

AISI estimated finished steel import market share at 17% in May and 16% year to date, while South Korea, Canada, Brazil, Vietnam, and Japan were listed as the largest permit sources for the month.