According to final census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of light-shaped bar (merchant bar) totaled 13,331 mt in January 2021, up 21.6 percent from December and up 17.9 percent from January 2020 levels. By value, merchant bar imports totaled $8.9 million in January 2021, compared to $7.1 million in the previous month and $7.4 million in the same month last year.
The US imported the most merchant bar from Mexico in January, with 7,786 mt, compared to 6,004 mt in December and 6,794 mt in January 2020. Other top sources of imported merchant bar in January include Canada, with 5,085 mt.