According to final census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of heavy structural shapes (including U, I, H, L, and T section beams) totaled 26,293 mt in March 2021, down 31.2 percent from February but up 25.1 percent from March 2020 levels. By value, beam imports totaled $22.8 million in March 2021, compared to $24.0 million in February and $17.3 million in March 2020.
The US imported the most beams from Mexico in March, with 11,041 mt, compared to 8,756 mt in February and 10,921 mt in March 2020. Other top sources of imported beam in March include Canada, with 5,288 mt; Germany, with 2,421 mt; Korea, with 2,324 mt; and Japan, with 2,035 mt.