According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of hot rolled sheet totaled 97,155 mt in August 2020, down 12.7 percent from July and down 38.2 percent from August 2019 levels. By value, HRC imports totaled $51.9 million in August 2020, compared to $61.4 million in the previous month and $96.6 million in the same month last year.
The US imported the most HRC from Canada in August, with 60,389 mt, compared to 67,087 mt in July and 105,767 mt in August 2019. Other top sources of imported HRC in August include Japan, with 15,141 mt; Korea, with 9,071 mt; Mexico, with 7,794 mt; and Netherlands, with 2,061 mt.