According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of hot rolled sheets totaled 137,270 mt in September 2020, up 41.3 percent from August but down 8.9 percent from September 2019 levels. By value, HRC imports totaled $70.8 million in September 2020, compared to $51.9 million in the previous month and $94.5 million in the same month last year.
The US imported the most HRC from Canada in September, with 61,258 mt, compared to 60,389 mt in August and 96,417 mt in September 2019. Other top sources of imported HRC in September include Korea, with 40,367 mt; Japan, with 20,045 mt; Mexico, with 5,159 mt; and Netherlands, with 4,371 mt.