According to preliminary census data from the US Department of Commerce, US imports of slab totaled 256,139 mt in December 2023, down 15.6 percent from November but up 194.6 percent from December 2022 levels. By value, slab imports totaled $141.8 million in December 2023, compared to $173.2 million in November and $56.5 million in December 2022.
The US imported the most slab from Brazil in December, with 162,983 mt, compared to 244,789 mt in November and zero tonnage in December 2022. Other top sources of imported slab in December include Mexico, with 57,384 mt; Canada, with 25,355 mt; and Japan, with 10,323 mt.