According to final census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of hot rolled sheets totaled 128,564 mt in May 2019, down 11.4 percent from April and down 38.1 percent from May 2018 levels. By value, HRC imports totaled $84.1 million in May 2019, compared to $96.1 million in the previous month and $162.7 million in the same month last year.
The US imported the most HRC from Canada in May, with 52,578 mt, compared to 49,426 mt in April and 123,533 mt in May 2018. Other top sources of imported HRC in May include Korea, with 21,664 mt; Japan, with 18,167 mt; Egypt, with 6,445 mt; and Serbia, with 6,205 mt.