According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of hot rolled sheets totaled 154,865 mt in September 2017, down 3.8 percent from August and down 28.0 percent from September 2016 levels. By value, HRC imports totaled $98.7 million in September 2017, compared to $102.4 million in the previous month and $117.6 million in the same month last year.
The US imported the most HRC from Canada in September, with 61,393 mt, compared to 75,940 mt in August and 49,903 mt in September 2016. Other top sources of imported HRC in September include Japan, with 42,737 mt; Germany, with 15,884 mt; Mexico, with 11,683 mt; Netherlands, with 9,604 mt; and Korea, with 5,041 mt.