NEW YORK — U.S. imports of brass mill products fell in January while exports increased compared with a year earlier, according to Copper and Brass Fabricators Council data.
Brass mill imports totaled 35,826,717 pounds, down 10.4 percent from 40,004,707 pounds in January last year. The largest supplier was South Korea at 6,127,924 pounds, followed by Germany (6,116,797 pounds), Mexico (4,092,882), Canada (3,570,667 pounds) and China (3,534,060 pounds).
The decrease was due largely to a 19.8-percent decline in imports of sheet, strip, plate and foil products and a 14.6-percent fall in imports of profiles, rod and bar.
U.S. exports of brass mill products rose 8.6 percent to 20,420,149 pounds in January from 18,799,156 pounds in the same month last year. Canada was the top destination at 6,968,139 pounds, followed by Mexico (6,203,528 pounds), South Korea (1,515,894 pounds) and China (707,474 pounds).
The increase was led by a 20.1-percent jump in shipments of sheet, strip, plate and foil products.