According to final census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of heavy structural shapes (including U, I, H, L, and T section beams) totaled 64,232 mt in January 2024, up 11.2 percent from December but down 1.2 percent from January 2023 levels. By value, beam imports totaled $70.6 million in January 2024, compared to $63.4 million in December and $76.4 million in January 2023.
The US imported the most beams from Spain in January, with 17,222 mt, compared to 1,348 mt in December and 11,309 mt in January 2023. Other top sources of imported beam in January include Mexico, with 11,891 mt; Germany, with 10,896 mt; Luxembourg, with 9,895 mt; and Canada, with 8,361 mt.