According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of carbon and alloy slab totaled 65,375 mt in September 2020, down 14.4 percent from August and down 60.4 percent from September 2019 levels. By value, slab imports totaled $26.0 million in September 2020, compared to $29.9 million in the previous month and $78.1 million in the same month last year.
The US imported the most slab from Mexico in September, with 47,928 mt, compared to 76,340 mt in August and 64,643 mt in September 2019. Other top sources of imported slab in September include Japan, with 16,796 mt.