According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of hot rolled sheets totaled 232,117 mt in October 2018, up 3.1 percent from September and up 43.6 percent from October 2017 levels. By value, HRC imports totaled $178.7 million in October 2018, compared to $177.8 million in the previous month and $107.9 million in the same month last year.
The US imported the most HRC from Canada in October, with 82,855 mt, compared to 74,686 mt in September and 78,796 mt in October 2017. Other top sources of imported HRC in October include Korea, with 58,712 mt; Japan, with 21,002 mt; Netherlands, with 17,764 mt; Mexico, with 15,371 mt; and Egypt, with 12,891 mt.