According to final census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of hot rolled bar totaled 79,739 mt in January 2024, up 67.6 percent from December and up 30.4 percent from January 2023 levels. By value, hot rolled bar imports totaled $188.1 million in January 2024, compared to $71.4 million in December and $89.5 million in January 2023.
The US imported the most hot rolled bar from Canada in January, with 32,009 mt, compared to 27,787 mt in December and 31,577 mt in January 2023. Other top sources of imported hot rolled bar in January include Japan, with 18,695 mt; France, with 10,472 mt; Germany, with 6,348 mt; and Brazil, with 5,791 mt.