According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of cold finished bar totaled 14,295 mt in August 2018, down 11.3 percent from July and down 22.9 percent from August 2017 levels. By value, cold finished bar imports totaled $20.9 million in August 2018, compared to $22.8 million in the previous month and $25.9 million in the same month last year.
The US imported the most cold finished bar from Germany in August, with 3,861 mt, compared to 2,852 mt in July and 3,632 mt in August 2017. Other top sources of imported cold finished bar in August include Canada, with 2,776 mt; Italy, with 1,796 mt; and Spain, with 1,613 mt.