According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of hot rolled sheets totaled 145,079 mt in October 2019, down 3.8 percent from September and down 37.5 percent from October 2018 levels. By value, HRC imports totaled $88.7 million in October 2019, compared to $94.5 million in the previous month and $178.7 million in the same month last year.
The US imported the most HRC from Canada in October, with 77,532 mt, compared to 96,417 mt in September and 82,855 mt in October 2018. Other top sources of imported HRC in October include Korea, with 42,093 mt; Mexico, with 10,218 mt; Netherlands, with 7,869 mt; and Germany, with 3,290 mt.