According to final census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of hot rolled bar totaled 61,682 mt in August 2019, down 9.1 percent from July and down 11.2 percent from August 2018 levels. By value, hot rolled bar imports totaled $59.9 million in August 2019, compared to $63.8 million in the previous month and $67.4 million in the same month last year.
The US imported the most hot rolled bar from Canada in August, with 24,469 mt, compared to 24,874 mt in July and 28,041 mt in August 2018. Other top sources of imported hot rolled bar in August include Japan, with 10,168 mt; Czech Republic, with 6,209 mt; Korea, with 5,185 mt; and Mexico with 3,323 mt.