According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of hot rolled sheet totaled 182,743 mt in December 2023, up 38.4 percent from November and up 38.2 percent from December 2022 levels. By value, HRC imports totaled $145.2 million in December 2023, compared to $106.2 million in November and $106.6 million in December 2022.
The US imported the most HRC from Canada in December, with 102,730 mt, compared to 76,107 mt in November and 77,828 mt in December 2022. Other top sources of imported HRC in December include South Korea, with 25,525 mt; Brazil, with 22,623 mt; Japan, with 17,448 mt; and Mexico, with 12,487 mt.