According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of hot rolled bar totaled 55,369 mt in September 2019, down 10.2 percent from August and down 3.1 percent from September 2018 levels. By value, hot rolled bar imports totaled $49.1 million in September 2019, compared to $59.9 million in the previous month and $55.4 million in the same month last year.
The US imported the most hot rolled bar from Canada in September, with 28,575 mt, compared to 24,469 mt in August and 30,163 mt in September 2018. Other top sources of imported hot rolled bar in September include Japan, with 12,254 mt; Mexico, with 4,537 mt; France, with 3,546 mt; and Germany, with 2,846 mt.