According to final census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of hot rolled bar totaled 55,609 mt in December 2023, down 30.4 percent from November and down 13.4 percent from December 2022 levels. By value, hot rolled bar imports totaled $71.4 million in December 2023, compared to $103.3 million in November and $83.4 million in December 2022.
The US imported the most hot rolled bar from Canada in December, with 27,787 mt, compared to 27,699 mt in November and 30,947 mt in December 2022. Other top sources of imported hot rolled bar in December include Germany, with 6,416 mt; Japan, with 5,769 mt; Mexico, with 4,147 mt; and South Korea, with 3,607 mt.