According to final census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of light shaped bars (merchant bar) totaled 11,100 mt in March 2020, up 50.9 percent from February and up 24.6 percent from March 2019 levels. By value, merchant bar imports totaled $7.9 million in March 2020, compared to $5.1 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 March, with 6,112 mt, compared to 4,362 mt in February and 5,567 mt in March 2019. Other top sources of imported merchant bar in March include Canada, with 4,364 mt.