Steel is one of those things that is nearly omnipresent in our modern society, in our modern lifestyle. It's used in everything from can openers to cars, from airliners to zippers. We use a lot of steel, and until recently, we imported a lot of steel and downplayed American steel production. That's changing, thanks in part to President Trump's tariff programs. Imports are down, and American steel is rebounding.
- 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.
Those are good numbers, but there's more.
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.
The United States produces about 80 million tons of steel per year, making this about a 6 percent increase in domestic steel production. It would be nice to see more, but these things take time.
Read More: Trump: Tariffs May Hurt, but 'Will All Be Worth It' in the Long Run
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We're still moving forward, despite the global economic wobbles caused by the war on Iran.
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.
Good news, for now.
Steel is an essential strategic material. Now American steelmakers aren't just producing; they are expanding, and that's a good thing, not just from the standpoint of steel supply, but also in ensuring a domestic supply that cannot be easily or capriciously cut off. It's the same with oil, with natural gas, with rare earth minerals, with other metals from copper to tin to zinc to antimony. While prices are often driven by international events, domestic supplies remain ours.
And, no, we're not tired of winning yet.
https://redstate.com/wardclark/2026/06/04/winning-us-steel-imports-now-down-production-up-n2203039
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