NEW YORK — Slab imports jumped 38.3 percent in November compared with the previous month on strong gains in the districts of Mobile, Ala., Houston-Galveston and Philadelphia.

Slab imports totaled 572,342 tonnes in November, up from 413,910 tonnes in October, according to data compiled by AMM from USA Trade Online, part of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Foreign Trade Division. That figure is also 39 percent higher than the 411,630 tonnes reported in November 2011.

Substantial gains were seen in Mobile, where slab imports jumped 54.1 percent to 221,279 tonnes. The district includes Essen, Germany-based ThyssenKrupp AG’s Calvert, Ala. facility.

Meanwhile, Houston-Galveston logged 48,916 tonnes in November, more than four times October’s 10,479 tonnes.

The Los Angeles district, which includes Fontana, Calif.-based California Steel Industries Inc. and is usually the second-largest slab port, saw imports fall 57.9 percent to 71,609 tonnes, marking a two-month low.

The Philadelphia district saw slab imports jump to 111,830 tonnes from 14,530 tonnes in October and zero tonnes in the same month last year. The district includes the Pennsylvania facilities of Portage, Ind.-based NLMK USA; Chicago-based Evraz Inc. North America’s Claymont, Del., operations; and Chicago-based ArcelorMittal USA Inc.’s Coatesville, Pa., plant.