According to final census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of light shaped bar (merchant bar) totaled 9,720 mt in July 2019, up 33.7 percent from June and up 51.8 percent from July 2018 levels. By value, merchant bar imports totaled $6.7 million in July 2019, compared to $5.3 million in the previous month and $4.8 million in the same month last year.
The US imported the most merchant bar from Mexico in July, with 5,037 mt, compared to 3,161 mt in June and 4,038 mt in July 2018. Other top sources of imported merchant bar in July include Canada, with 4,231 mt.