According to census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of hot rolled bar totaled 57,160 mt in September 2018, down 17.7 percent from August and down 16.1 percent from September 2017 levels. By value, hot rolled bar imports totaled $55.4 million in September 2018, compared to $67.4 million in the previous month and $61.2 million in the same month last year.
The US imported the most hot rolled bar from Canada in September, with 30,163 mt, compared to 28,041 mt in August and 26,501 mt in September 2017. Other top sources of imported hot rolled bar in September include Japan, with 7,887 mt; France, with 3,524 mt; Mexico, with 3,232 mt; and Czech Republic, with 2,950 mt.