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 35,857 mt in May 2023, down 47.9 percent from April and down 25.9 percent from May 2022 levels. By value, beam imports totaled $41.9 million in May 2023, compared to $74.2 million in April and $63.4 million in May 2022.
The US imported the most beams from Mexico in May, with 9,995 mt, compared to 11,315 mt in April and 12,837 mt in May 2022. Other top sources of imported beam in May include South Korea, with 7,312 mt; Canada, with 6,514 mt; Luxembourg, with 3,709 mt; and Germany, with 3,243 mt.