According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of slab totaled 422,512 mt in March 2023, up 47.5 percent from February and up 51.9 percent from March 2022 levels. By value, slab imports totaled $259.0 million in March 2023, compared to $169.5 million in February and $183.7 million in March 2022.
The US imported the most slab from Brazil in March, with 325,637 mt, compared to 234,757 mt in February and 199,744 mt in March 2022. Other top sources of imported slab in March include Mexico, with 53,093 mt; Canada, with 33,065 mt; and Japan, with 10,707 mt.