According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of hot rolled sheet totaled 172,421 mt in March 2021, down 12.8 percent from February but up 40.7 percent from March 2020 levels. By value, HRC imports totaled $140.7 million in March 2021, compared to $143.7 million in February and $73.7 million in March 2020.
The US imported the most HRC from Canada in March, with 118,050 mt, compared to 85,173 mt in February and 85,266 mt in March 2020. Other top sources of imported HRC in March include Korea, with 34,853 mt; Japan, with 6,839 mt; Germany, with 5,206 mt; and Sweden with 1,928 mt.