According to the preliminary Census Bureau data from the US Department of Commerce (USDOC), the US imported around 87,000 tons of slab in December last year, falling by 36% compared to the previous month and also dropping by 77% from the same month a year ago.

Among them, the imports from Mexico accounted for the largest proportion, totaling roughly 47,000 tons, a year-on-year jump of 59.7%. Other major import sources included Canada (15,200 tons), Japan (14,600 tons), and Australia (10,300 tons).

During the period, the import value totaled approximately US$57 million, down by 35.2% month on month and plummeting by 80% year on year.