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 14,151 mt in August 2020, down 59.0 percent from July and down 71.7 percent from August 2019 levels. By value beam imports totaled $11.9 million in August 2020, compared to $24.5 million in the previous month and $36.6 million in the same month last year.
The US imported the most beams from Mexico in August, with 6,680 mt, compared to 11,294 mt in July and 11,527 mt in August 2019. Other top sources of imported beams in August include Canada, with 2,501 mt; UAE, with 1,630 mt; United Kingdom, with 1,380 mt; and Germany, with 1,058 mt.