According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of hot rolled sheets totaled 109,844 mt in May 2020, up 4.7 percent from April but down 14.6 percent from May 2019 levels. By value, HRC imports totaled $61.4 million in May 2020, compared to $62.5 million in the previous month and $84.1 million in the same month last year.
The US imported the most HRC from Canada in May, with 42,131 mt, compared to 49,928 mt in April and 52,578 mt in May 2019. Other top sources of imported HRC in May include Japan, with 22,008 mt; Korea, with 18,401 mt; Netherlands, with 11,708 mt; and Mexico, with 7,863 mt.