According to final census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of hot rolled bar totaled 71,500 mt in January 2023, up 11.3 percent from December but down 7.9 percent from January 2022 levels. By value, wire rod imports totaled $89.5 million in January 2023, compared to $83.4 million in December and $97.5 million in January 2022.
The US imported the most hot rolled bar from Canada in January, with 31,577 mt, compared to 30,947 mt in December and 27,805 in January 2022. Other top sources of imported hot rolled bar in January include Japan, with 14,012 mt; Mexico, with 6,369 mt; Brazil, with 5,806 mt; and China, with 3,716 mt.