According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of hot rolled bar totaled 87,625 mt in October 2018, up 53.3 percent from September and up 5.7 percent from October 2017 levels. By value, hot rolled bar imports totaled $81.8 million in October 2018, compared to $55.4 million in the previous month and $73.7 million in the same month last year.
The US imported the most hot rolled bar from Canada in October, with 30,186 mt, compared to 30,163 mt in September and 28,591 mt in October 2017. Other top sources of imported hot rolled bar in October include Japan, with 19,850 mt; France, with 10,057 mt; China, with 7,518 mt; Germany, with 6,867 mt; and United Kingdom, with 4,856 mt.