According to preliminary data from the US Census Bureau, under the US Department of Commerce, the US imported approximately 39,000 tons of cut-to-length (CTL) plates in January, an increase of 37% compared to the previous month and a drop of 37% compared to the same month a year ago.

Of these, Canada was the largest supplier, contributing around 20,200 tons, which represented a 28% month-on-month hike and a 13.5% year-on-year decrease. South Korea ranked second with a supply of around 12,700 tons.

The total value of these imports stood at about US$43 million, reflecting a month-on-month growth of 40% and a year-on-year drop of 45%.