According to final census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of hot rolled bar totaled 58,879 mt in May 2020, up 32.9 percent from April but down 26.6 percent from May 2019 levels. By value, hot rolled bar imports totaled $50.8 million in May 2020, compared to $41.2 million in the previous month and $80.6 million in the same month last year.
The US imported the most hot rolled bar from Japan in May, with 21,276 mt, compared to 12,475 mt in April and 16,657 mt in May 2019. Other top sources of imported hot rolled bar in May include Canada, with 16,100 mt; Germany, with 4,826 mt; Mexico, with 4,505 mt; and France, with 3,061 mt.