According to final census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of hot rolled bar totaled 80,203 mt in May 2019, up 18.6 percent from April but down 15.6 percent from May 2018 levels. By value, hot rolled bar imports totaled $80.6 million in May 2019, compared to $66.4 million in the previous month and $91.7 million in the same month last year.
The US imported the most hot rolled bar from Canada in May, with 24,081 mt, compared to 22,081 mt in April and 46,250 mt in May 2018. Other top sources of imported hot rolled bar in May include Japan, with 16,657 mt; France, with 7,897 mt; Korea, with 6,649 mt; and China, with 4,699 mt.