According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of hot rolled sheets totaled 148,648 mt in December 2019, up 26.8 percent from November but down 10.6 percent from December 2018 levels. By value, HRC imports totaled $81.6 million in December 2019, compared to $67.5 million in the previous month and $124.2 million in the same month last year.
The US imported the most HRC from Canada in December, with 84,752 mt, compared to 71,464 mt in November and 67,574 mt in December 2018. Other top sources of imported HRC in December include Japan, with 14,287 mt; Netherlands, with 13,765 mt; Korea, with 12,748 mt; and Mexico, with 9,897 mt.