According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of slabs totaled 559,175 mt in May this year, up 70.3 percent month on month and up 13.1 percent from May last year. By value, the slab imports totaled $315.2 million in May this year, compared to $191.0 million in April and $339.3 million in May 2024.
The US imported the most slab from Brazil in May with 325,999 mt, compared to 250,655 mt in April and 366,904 mt in May 2024. Other top sources of imported slabs in May included Mexico with 161,583 mt and Australia with 28,377 mt.