According to final census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of hot rolled bar totaled 57,059 mt in December 2020, up 17.2 percent from November but down 0.6 percent from December 2019 levels. By value, hot rolled bar imports totaled $48.9 million in December 2020, compared to $41.6 million in the previous month and $50.2 million in the same month last year.
The US imported the most hot rolled bar from Canada in December, with 24,776 mt, compared to 27,091 mt in November and 22,327 mt in December 2019. Other top sources of imported hot rolled bar in December include Japan, with 10,628 mt; Brazil, with 4,867 mt; Mexico, with 4,419 mt; and France, with 4,016 mt.