Steel Imports Jump to $2.2 billion in June 2026

U.S. steel imports totalled $2.2 billion in June 2026, up 4.2% on the month and up 1.1% on the year. The most recent full-year unit-price data (2025 over 2024) says price has been doing real work in this lane: steel bar, rod, and wire unit prices fell 11.5%, and steel pipe and tube unit prices fell 11.4%.

The unit-price read, by family

• Steel Bar, Rod, and Wire: unit price down 11.5% in 2025, effective duty 22.1%, $2.9 billion of annual customs value
• Steel Pipe and Tube: unit price down 11.4% in 2025, effective duty 25.6%, $6.9 billion of annual customs value
• Steel Flat-rolled Products: unit price down 5.3% in 2025, effective duty 23.9%, $6.6 billion of annual customs value

The split matters because a value rise driven by price is inflation landing on buyers, while a rise driven by volume is demand or restocking. The family-level unit prices point to the latter here, with the caveat that the unit-price data is full-year (2025) while the flow above is monthly.

Import figures are census customs values — landed cost adds duty and freight on top, which is where the effective tariff rates bite. Source: Census International Trade.