According to census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of merchant bar totaled 11,240 mt in September 2018, up 133.2 percent from August and up 11.0 percent from September 2017 levels. By value, merchant bar imports totaled $7.9 million in September 2018, compared to $3.6 million in the previous month and $7.2 million in the same month last year.
The US imported the most merchant bar from Mexico in September, with 7,122 mt, compared to 2,894 mt in August and 4,438 mt in September 2017. Other top sources of imported merchant bar in September include Canada, with 2,155 mt; and Turkey, with 1,012 mt.