According to delayed final census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of hot rolled bar totaled 57,507 mt in February 2019, down 27.1 percent from January and down 40.9 percent from February 2018 levels. By value, hot rolled bar imports totaled $56.4 million in February 2018, compared to $78.1 million in the previous month and $92.3 million in the same month last year.
The US imported the most hot rolled bar from Canada in February, with 21,050 mt, compared to 25,855 mt in January and 42,355 mt in February 2018. Other top sources of imported hot rolled bar in February include Japan, with 16,242 mt; China, with 6,447 mt; Mexico, with 3,915 mt; Spain, with 3,142 mt; and Germany, with 1,895 mt.