U.S. Steel and Aluminum Tariffs Impact

Summary

In 2024, Iron and Steel imports were valued at $31.4 billion, with seaport volumes totaling 26.4 billion KG.
Aluminum imports for the same year were valued at $27.4 billion, with a seaport volume of 8.9 billion KG

CargoFax presents an analysis of U.S. steel and aluminum imports.

In light of the recent announcement that a 25% tariff will apply to all iron and aluminum products starting March 12, 2025, this report highlights the major countries of origin, importers, exporters, and ports of arrival impacted by the change.

Using the latest U.S. Census and CargoFax data, we examine Steel and Aluminum imports by value (Census) and seaport imports by volume (CargoFax) for 2024.

This analysis provides key insights into trade dynamics for these commodities and who the upcoming tariffs may impact the most.

This report is divided into two sections, each focused on a specific product. In each section, we will first analyze the top ten countries by import value and volume. Then, we will examine the top ten importers, exporters, and ports of arrival.

Please note full access to all data can be found on our website.

Let’s begin!

Definitions and Methodology

Time Period:
The data used in this analysis covers the period from January 1st, 2024, to December 31st, 2024.

Commodity Selection:
For this analysis, commodities are grouped by HS chapters. Steel and iron imports are categorized under HS Chapter 72, while aluminum imports are categorized under HS Chapter 76.

Value Metric:
The value metric used for Census data is the Customs Value (Gen) in U.S. dollars. This represents the appraised price of imported goods, reflecting the price paid or payable for merchandise sold for export to the U.S. It excludes U.S. import duties, freight, insurance, and other costs associated with bringing the merchandise into the U.S. (General Imports).

Volume Metric:
The volume of imports is measured in kilograms (KG), with a focus on seaport imports as sourced from CargoFax's maritime data.

Iron and Steel Imports
(HS Chapter 72)

The top three countries from which the U.S. imports the most steel by value are Canada, Brazil, and Mexico, accounting for nearly 50% of all steel import value.

In terms of seaport volume, Brazil, South Korea, and Belgium make up the top three, representing 31% of steel imports volumes via seaports.

Top Ten Countries by Steel Export Value to the U.S - Total Imports

	Country of Origin	Import Value (in Billions of USD)	Market Share %
1	Canada	$7.594	24.21%
2	Brazil	$4.677	14.91%
3	Mexico	$3.183	10.15%
4	South Korea	$1.836	5.85%
5	Germany	$1.454	4.64%
6	Japan	$1.163	3.71%
7	Taiwan	$1.048	3.34%
8	Vietnam	$0.983	3.13%
9	Netherlands	$0.809	2.58%
10	Trinidad and Tobago	$0.624	1.99%
	Other Countries	$8.001	25.50%

Figure 1: Top Ten Countries by Steel Export Value into the U.S. in 2024

Top Ten Countries by Steel Export Volume to the U.S. via Seaports

	Country of Origin	Import Volume (in Billions of KG)	Market Share %
1	Brazil	3.062	11.6%
2	South Korea	2.881	10.9%
3	Belgium	2.290	8.7%
4	China	1.718	6.5%
5	Canada	1.619	6.1%
6	Vietnam	1.549	5.9%
7	Trinidad	1.481	5.6%
8	Japan	1.348	5.1%
9	Mexico	1.326	5.0%
10	Taiwan	0.945	3.6%
	Other Countries	8.190	31.0%

Figure 2: Top Ten Countries by Steel Export Volume (in KG) into the U.S. in 2024

Top Ten Importers of Steel into the U.S. via Seaports

	Importers	Import Volume (in Billions of KG)	Market Share %
1	ArcelorMittal Calvert LLC	0.936	3.5%
2	The David J. Joseph Company (DJJ)	0.839	3.2%
3	Outokumpo Stainless USA LLC	0.772	2.9%
4	Termnium Mexico SA	0.767	2.9%
5	Arcelormittal International America	0.617	2.3%
6	California Stel Industries INC	0.551	2.1%
7	Posco International America Corp	0.514	1.9%
8	Amins Calvert LLC	0.423	1.6%
9	NLMK Pennsylvania LLC	0.398	1.5%
10	Thyssenkrupp Steel Nord America	0.305	1.2%
	Other Importers	20.286	76.8%

Figure 3: Top Ten Steel Importers by Volume (in KG) into the U.S. in 2024

Top Ten Exporters of Steel to the U.S. via Seaports

	Exporter	Import Volume (in Billions of KG)	Market Share %
1	ArcelorMittal Brazil SA	1.096	4.2%
2	ArcelorMittal Pecem SA	0.997	3.8%
3	Nu Iron Unlimited	0.839	3.2%
4	Outokumpu Mexinox SA	0.698	2.6%
5	Posco International CO LTD	0.624	2.4%
6	Thyssen Krupp Bilstein Gmbh	0.475	1.8%
7	PT Dexin Steel International	0.335	1.3%
8	Hyundai Steel CO	0.331	1.3%
9	ArcelorMittal Mexico SA	0.289	1.1%
10	Nippon Steeltrading CO	0.267	1.0%
	Other Exporters	20.457	77.5%

Figure 4: Top Ten Steel Exporters by Volume (in KG) to the U.S. in 2024

Top Ten Ports Of Arrival for Steel imports into the U.S. via Seaports

When it comes to receiving steel imports, Mobile, Alabama; Houston, Texas; and New Orleans, Louisiana account for 31% of all seaport import volumes, making these ports the most critical hubs in the steel trade.

	Port of Arrival	Import Volume (in Billions of KG)	Market Share %
1	Mobile, Alabama	3.169	12.0%
2	Houston, Texas	2.961	11.2%
3	New Orleans, Louisiana	2.013	7.6%
4	Los Angeles, California	1.956	7.4%
5	Charleston, South Carolina	1.471	5.6%
6	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	1.420	5.4%
7	New York/Newark Area, Newark, New Jersey	1.173	4.4%
8	Long Beach, California	1.115	4.2%
9	Brownsville, Texas	1.069	4.0%
10	Savannah, Georgia	0.809	3.1%
	Other Ports	9.251	35.0%

Figure 5: Top Ten Ports of Arrival by Steel Import Volume (in KG) to the U.S. in 2024

For comprehensive insights into all steel imports countries of origin, importers, exporters, and ports of arrival, access the complete dataset with a CargoFax subscription.

Aluminum Imports
(HS Chapter 76)

The top three countries from which the U.S. imports the aluminum by value are Canada, China, and Mexico, accounting for nearly 59% of all steel aluminum value.

In terms of seaport volume, China, Canada, and South Korea make up the top three, representing 48% of steel aluminum volumes via seaports.

Top Ten Countries by Aluminum Export Value to the U.S - Total Imports

	Country of Origin	Import Value (in Billions of USD)	Market Share %
1	Canada	$11.372	41.44%
2	China	$2.876	10.48%
3	Mexico	$1.827	6.66%
4	United Arab Emirates	$1.195	4.35%
5	South Korea	$0.928	3.38%
6	India	$0.780	2.84%
7	Bahrain	$0.695	2.53%
8	Colombia	$0.654	2.38%
9	Germany	$0.593	2.16%
10	Argentina	$0.495	1.80%
	Other Countries	$0.000	21.97%

Figure 6: Top Ten Countries by Aluminum Export Value into the U.S. in 2024

Top Ten Countries by Aluminum Export Volume to the U.S. via Seaports

	Country of Origin	Import Volume (in Billions of KG)	Market Share %
1	China	2.277	25.6%
2	Canada	1.094	12.3%
3	South Korea	0.905	10.2%
4	Mexico	0.438	4.9%
5	United Arab Emirates	0.397	4.5%
6	India	0.330	3.7%
7	Oman	0.290	3.3%
8	Spain	0.276	3.1%
9	Germany	0.201	2.3%
10	Vietnam	0.193	2.2%
	Other Countries	2.489	28.0%

Figure 7: Top Ten Countries by Aluminum Export Volume (in KG) into the U.S. in 2024

Top Ten Importers of Aluminum into the U.S. via Seaports

	Importers	Import Volume (in Billions of KG)	Market Share %
1	EGA America INC	0.548	6.2%
2	Cascadia Metals LTD	0.418	4.7%
3	Cemex Construction Materials SA	0.376	4.2%
4	Novelis Corp	0.176	2.0%
5	Aluminium Bahrain US INC	0.171	1.9%
6	ES Windows LLC	0.124	1.4%
7	BSR INTERNATIONAL Logistics INC	0.117	1.3%
8	Hydro Aluminium Metals USA LLC	0.106	1.2%
9	Auar Aluminio Argentino SAIC	0.078	0.9%
10	Silfab Solar Wa INC	0.068	0.8%
	Other Importers	6.708	75.4%

Figure 8: Top Ten Aluminum Importers by Volume (in KG) into the U.S. in 2024

Top Ten Exporters of Aluminum to the U.S. via Seaports

	Exporter	Import Volume (in Billions of KG)	Market Share %
1	Five Steel Tech CO LTD	0.416	4.7%
2	Cemex Materials Newfoundland Inc	0.376	4.2%
3	Emirates Aluminium Limite	0.322	3.6%
4	Dubai Aluminium PJSC	0.249	2.8%
5	Aluminium Bahrain Bsc	0.195	2.2%
6	Qatar Aluminium LTD	0.146	1.6%
7	Novelis Korea LTD	0.124	1.4%
8	CIS Energia Solar SAS	0.117	1.3%
9	South32 Marketing PTE LTD	0.111	1.2%
10	Auar Aluminio Argentino SAIC	0.107	1.2%
	Other Exporters	6.728	75.7%

Figure 9: Top Ten Aluminum Exporters by Volume (in KG) to the U.S. in 2024

Top Ten Ports Of Arrival for Aluminum imports into the U.S. via Seaports

When it comes to receiving aluminum imports, Houston, Texas; New York; and Savannah, Georgia account for 34% of all seaport import volumes, making these ports the most critical hubs in the aluminum trade.

	Port of Arrival	Import Volume (in Billions of KG)	Market Share %
1	Houston, Texas	1.156	13.0%
2	New York/Newark Area, Newark, New Jersey	1.027	11.6%
3	Savannah, Georgia	0.812	9.1%
4	Long Beach, California	0.788	8.9%
5	Los Angeles, California	0.629	7.1%
6	Jacksonville, Florida	0.434	4.9%
7	Everett, Washington	0.419	4.7%
8	Tacoma, Washington	0.382	4.3%
9	New Orleans, Louisiana	0.381	4.3%
10	Baltimore, Maryland	0.371	4.2%
	Other Ports	2.493	28.0%

Figure 10: Top Ten Ports of Arrival by Aluminum Import Volume (in KG) to the U.S. in 2024

For comprehensive insights into all aluminum imports by countries of origin, importers, exporters, and ports of arrival, access the complete dataset with a CargoFax subscription.

Key Takeaways

Based on this data, it’s clear that countries like Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and China have significant potential to be impacted by these tariffs.

As for U.S. ports, Gulf Coast ports—particularly the Port of Houston—may experience the most significant impact, as it ranks in the top three for both steel and aluminum imports.

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