According to final census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of light-shaped bar (merchant bar) totaled 13,648 mt in September 2023, up 8.3 percent from August and up 0.5 percent from September 2022 levels. By value, merchant bar imports totaled $13.4 million in September 2023, compared to $11.4 million in August and $16.0 million in September 2022.
The US imported the most merchant bar from Canada in September, with 6,729 mt, compared to 4,341 mt in August and 5,312 in September 2022. Other top sources of imported merchant bar in September include Mexico, with 6,619 mt.