According to final census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of light shaped bar (merchant bar) totaled 7,426 mt in May 2020, down 15.2 percent from April and down 11.4 percent from May 2019 levels. By value, merchant bar imports totaled $4.9 million in May 2020, compared to $6.2 million in the previous month and $5.9 million in the same month last year.
The US imported the most merchant bar from Mexico in May, with 4,980 mt, compared to 4,605 mt in April and 4,137 mt in May 2019. Other top sources of imported merchant bar in May include Canada, with 1,951 mt.