According to delayed final census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of hot rolled bar totaled 78,902 mt in January 2019, up 20.9 percent from December but down 31.7 percent from January 2018 levels. By value, hot rolled bar imports totaled $78.1 million in January 2019, compared to $62.3 million in the previous month and $97.6 million in the same month last year.
The US imported the most hot rolled bar from Canada in January, with 25,855 mt, compared to 25,655 mt in December and 34,932 mt in January 2018. Other top sources of imported hot rolled bar in January include China, with 12,495 mt; Japan, with 9,757 mt; Korea, with 7,202 mt; France, with 4,554 mt; and Germany, with 3,825 mt.