According to final census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of hot rolled bar totaled 77,592 mt in January 2022, up 21.9 percent from December and up 42.9 percent from January 2021 levels. By value, hot rolled bar imports totaled $97.5 million in January 2022, compared to $75.5 million in December and $47.8 million in January 2021.
The US imported the most hot rolled bar from Canada in January, with 27,805 mt, compared to 27,293 mt in December and 29,358 mt in January 2021. Other top sources of imported hot rolled bar in January include Japan, with 13,814 mt; Mexico, with 7,750 mt; France, with 7,664 mt; and Germany, with 4,199 mt.