According to preliminary data from the US Census Bureau, under the US Department of Commerce (USDOC), the US imported approximately 33,300 tons of cut-to-length (CTL) plates in May, an increase of 18% compared to the previous month and a significant drop of 37% compared to the same month a year ago.

Of these, South Korea was the largest supplier, contributing around 15,000 tons, which represented a 37% month-on-month increase and a 25% year-on-year decrease. Canada, the top source last month, ranked second with a supply of around 14,000 tons.

The total value of these imports amounted to about US$38 million, a month-on-month increase of 19% and a year-on-year drop of 42%.