According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of slab totaled 86,949 mt in December 2022, down 36.1 percent from November and down 76.5 percent from December 2021 levels. By value, slab imports totaled $56.5 million in December 2022, compared to $87.2 million in November and $282.4 million in December 2021.
The US imported the most slab from Mexico in December, with 46,939 mt, compared to zero tonnage in November and 116,529 mt in December 2021. Other top sources of imported slab in December include Canada, with 15,156 mt; Japan, with 14,558 mt; and Australia, with 10,295 mt.