According to delayed final census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of hot rolled sheets totaled 174,590 mt in November 2018, down 24.8 percent from October but up 14.6 percent from November 2017 levels. By value, HRC imports totaled $135.5 million in November 2018, compared to $178.7 million in the previous month and $102.4 million in the same month last year.
The US imported the most HRC from Canada in November, with 64,076 mt, compared to 82,855 mt in October and 76,171 mt in November 2017. Other top sources of imported HRC in November include Korea, with 33,594 mt; Netherlands, with 17,587 mt; Japan, with 16,771 mt; Mexico, with 12,708 mt; and Italy, with 6,131 mt.