According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of hot rolled sheet totaled 263,869 mt in December 2021, down 37.7 percent from November but up 77.9 percent from December 2020 levels. By value, HRC imports totaled $378.9 million in December 2021, compared to $398.3 million in November and $94.3 million in December 2020.
The US imported the most HRC from Canada in December, with 117,773 mt, compared to 160,294 mt in November and 86,762 mt in December 2020. Other top sources of imported HRC in December include Mexico, with 63,367 mt; Vietnam, with 17,242 mt; Japan, with 10,845 mt; and Netherlands, with 9,433 mt.