Imports of iron and steel to the U.S. reached about $38.9 billion last year, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database, its highest level since tracking began in the early 1990s.
About 21% of the structural steel used in the U.S. in 2017 was sourced from overseas, according to the American Institute of Steel Construction. Canada accounted for the largest share of U.S. imports of steel mill products by volume in 2020 at 23.7%, followed by Brazil and Mexico at 18.3% and 15.0% respectively, according to the International Trade Administration.
The administration did not say what percentage of construction material for current infrastructure projects is U.S.-produced, or what portion of the $350 billion in infrastructure funding being spent this year is being spent on U.S.-made goods.
