According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of hot rolled bar totaled 116,135 mt in July 2017, down 18.8 percent from June but up 40.8 percent from July 2016 levels. By value, hot rolled bar imports totaled $87.1 million in July 2017, compared to $112.3 million in the previous month and $69.7 million in the same month last year.
The US imported the most hot rolled bar from Canada in July, with 31,478 mt, compared to 43,858 mt in June and 31,698 mt in July 2016. Other top sources of imported hot rolled bar in July include Turkey, with 31,425 mt; Japan, with 16,595 mt; France, with 14,076 mt; Germany, with 6,236 mt; and the United Kingdom, with 3,264 mt.