According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of hot rolled sheets totaled 225,104 mt in September 2018, up 25.3 percent from August and up 44.4 percent from September 2017 levels. By value, HRC imports totaled $177.8 million in September 2018, compared to $144.7 million in the previous month and $99.3 million in the same month last year.
The US imported the most HRC from Canada in September, with 74,686 mt, compared to 90,990 mt in August and 61,393 mt in September 2017. Other top sources of imported HRC in September include Korea, with 55,616 mt; Turkey, with 27,805 mt; Japan, with 19,009 mt; Mexico, with 11,370 mt; and Netherlands, with 9,633 mt.