U.S. Steel Shipments Rise 5.9% Y/Y to 8.22M Tons

U.S. steel mills shipped 8.221 million net tons in August 2026, up 5.9% from a year earlier and essentially unchanged from July, while January-August shipments remained 5.4% above the comparable 2025 period, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.

U.S. steel mills shipped 8,220,554 net tons of steel in August 2026, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).

Shipments increased 5.9% year over year from 7,762,706 net tons in August 2025.

Compared with July 2026, however, volumes were essentially unchanged.

August Steel Shipments Were Nearly Flat From July

July shipments totaled 8,219,540 net tons, compared with 8,220,554 net tons in August.

That represents an increase of only 1,014 net tons, or approximately 0.01% month over month.

Year-to-Date U.S. Steel Shipments Rise 5.4%

U.S. mill shipments totaled 63,967,195 net tons in January-August 2026.

That was up 5.4% from 60,700,214 net tons during the first eight months of 2025.

The difference amounts to approximately 3.267 million additional net tons shipped during the first eight months of 2026.

The shipment trend is consistent with other indicators showing U.S. steelmaking activity running above 2025 levels during much of this year.

SteelPrices' latest AISI production coverage showed adjusted raw steel output through October 3 remaining 5.3% above the comparable 2025 period: U.S. Raw Steel Output Remains Above 2025 Levels .

Corrosion-Resistant and Hot-Rolled Shipments Lead Growth

AISI reported year-to-date gains across several major flat-steel categories.

Shipments of corrosion-resistant sheet and strip increased 11% year over year during January-August.

Hot-rolled sheet and strip shipments rose 9%, while cold-rolled sheet increased 0.1%.

August Steel Imports Rise 3.4% From July

U.S. steel imports moved higher sequentially during August, although cumulative imports remained substantially below 2025 levels.

AISI, using preliminary Census Bureau data, reported total August steel imports of 2,345,954 net tons.

That was an increase of 3.4% from July.

Finished-steel imports totaled 1,599,537 net tons, up 2.2% month over month.

AISI estimated finished-steel imports represented 17.5% of the U.S. market in August and 16% during the first eight months of 2026.

Among individual products, August imports of hot-rolled sheet increased 64% from July, plate in coils rose 31%, and hot-dipped galvanized sheet and strip increased 21%.

2025 Finished-Steel Imports Totaled 18.67 Million Tons

For full-year context, final AISI data show total U.S. steel imports of 25.241 million net tons in 2025, down 12.6% from 2024.

Finished-steel imports totaled 18.665 million net tons, down 17.1% year over year.

Finished imports accounted for an estimated 18% of apparent U.S. steel consumption for the full year.

What Do August U.S. Steel Shipments Show?

August shipments indicate that domestic mill deliveries were holding at a substantially stronger year-over-year level even though monthly volumes had stabilized following July's decline from June.

The broader January-August data reinforce that trend, with cumulative mill shipments up 5.4% and several flat-steel categories recording additional gains.

Import data show a different comparison: August inflows increased from July, but total and finished-steel imports remained 15.1% and 18.5% lower, respectively, on a year-to-date basis.

Taken together, the figures show higher domestic shipments alongside lower cumulative import volumes, while preserving the distinction between shipment data, steel production and import statistics.

Primary shipment source: American Iron and Steel Institute, October 9, 2026.

Import data: American Iron and Steel Institute, based on preliminary U.S. Census Bureau data.

Courtesy: GMK Center.