According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of hot rolled sheets totaled 143,214 mt in July 2019, up 18.6 percent from June but down 35.4 percent from July 2018 levels. By value, HRC imports totaled $91.0 million in July 2019, compared to $83.6 million in the previous month and $172.7 million in the same month last year.
The US imported the most HRC from Canada in July, with 84,447 mt, compared to 56,098 mt in June and 68,744 mt in July 2018. Other top sources of imported HRC in July include Japan, with 16,999 mt; Netherlands, with 13,597 mt; Korea, with 6,274 mt; and Malaysia, with 4,309 mt.