According to final census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of light-shaped bar (merchant bar) totaled 14,542 mt in January 2023, up 37.9 percent from December and up 21.8 percent from January 2022 levels. By value, merchant bar imports totaled $16.3 million in January 2023, compared to $11.1 million in December and $14.7 million in January 2022.
The US imported the most merchant bar from Canada in January, with 8,645 mt, compared to 5,516 mt in December and 6,027 in January 2022. Other top sources of imported merchant bar in January include Mexico, with 4,832 mt; and Turkey, with 1,025 mt.