According to final census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of light-shaped bar (merchant bar) totaled 11,683 mt in June 2020, up 57.3 percent from May and up 60.7 percent from June 2019 levels. By value, merchant bar imports totaled $7.6 million in June 2020, compared to $4.9 million in the previous month and $5.3 million in the same month last year.
The US imported the most merchant bar from Mexico in June, with 8,297 mt, compared to 4,980 mt in May and 3,161 mt in June 2019. Other top sources of imported merchant bar in June include Canada, with 3,017 mt.