Total Merchant licenses, (representing 10 HTS codes), year to-date, (YTD) through May 28^th totaled 332,746 tons down 22.6% from last year’s 430,092 tons. Month to-date, there have been a total of 64,715 tons of Merchant license requests, 37% lower than March 2017 volume of 102,173 tons.

Figure 1 shows the overall total Merchant licenses from May 2017 through May 2018 as reported by the Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMA). There are three sub groups that make up the overall Merchant total tonnage; these include Light angles and channels, MBQ bars and Structural angles and channels.

Light angle, (<3.15 inches) licenses totaled 6,880 tons for May MTD. Light channel, (<3.15 inches) licenses totaled 3,638 tons for May month to-date, (MTD). Structural channels licenses totaled 7,095 tons for March month to-date, (MTD). Structural angles, (>3.15 inches) licenses totaled 6,018 tons for May month to-date, (MTD). Other Structural angles totaled 5,617 tons for May MTD. Other Bars (forged), totaled 11,511 MTD. Rectangular Bars totaled 6,209 for May MTD. Other Bars licenses totaled the most at 14,860 tons for the month.

Figure 2 charts the overall total Merchant licenses through May for both 2017 and 2018 by country. Canada requested 130.740 licensed tons YTD in 2018, down 11,026 tons or 8% y/y. Mexico license volume YTD in 2018 was 88,957 tons, 34,405 tons lower than for the first five months of 2017. Japan was the third largest exporter of merchant products to the U.S. Its YTD total through May was 133,456 licensed tons, down 4,194 tons or 11% y/y. Turkey’s YTD merchant licenses was 10,502 tons, down 62% from licenses YTD 2017.

The average $AUV was $756 for May MTD, up $22 from the April $AUV of $734.

At Gerdau we closely follow trade in long products steel since it has a profound impact on domestic market-share and material pricing. We want you, our valued customers to have access to current information that can help you better plan and operate your businesses.