According to final census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of light-shaped bar (merchant bar) totaled 18,999 mt in March 2021, up 82.2 percent from February and up 71.2 percent from March 2020 levels. By value, merchant bar imports totaled $12.1 million in March 2021, compared to $8.2 million in February and $7.9 million in March 2020.
The US imported the most merchant bar from Mexico in March, with 13,565 mt, compared to 4,058 mt in February and 6,112 mt in March 2020. Other top sources of imported merchant bar in March include Canada, with 5,199 mt; Sweden, with 1,483 mt; and Finland, with 1,037 mt.