US imports and exports of brass mill products increased in June compared with the year-ago period, according to the Copper & Brass Fabricators Council, a trade group based in Washington.
US imports of brass mill products in June totaled 47.2 million lb compared with nearly 45 million lb in June 2013, a 4.9% increase. June exports totaled nearly 22 million lb compared with 20.5 million lb during the previous year, a 7.3% increase, CBFC said in a report released late Friday.
In the first six months of 2014, US imports of brass mill products totaled 272.4 million lb compared with 245.6 million lb in H1 2013, an increase of 10.9%. H1 exports totaled 130.2 million lb, compared with about 134 million lb in the same year-ago period, a decrease of 2.8%, the CBFC said.
Mexico was the leading destination for US exports of brass mill products in June at 7.1 million lb, followed by Canada at 6.5 million lb, South Korea at 1.5 million lb, China at 838,628 lb and Hong Kong at 831,392 lb.
Imports from Germany in June totaled nearly 10.1 million lb, followed by South Korea at 7.5 million lb, Mexico at 4.8 million lb, China at 4.4 million lb and Canada at 4.3 million lb.
Imports of all sheet, strip, plate and foil products totaled 14.3 million lb in June, while exports of those products totaled nearly 9.1 million lb, CBFC data showed.
June imports of all pipe and tube products totaled 17.8 million lb, while pipe and tube exports totaled 4.3 million lb.
Imports of all profiles, rods and bars totaled nearly 11.3 million lb, while exports totaled 6.3 million lb, the CBFC said.
June imports of copper alloy wire totaled 3.8 million lb, while exports totaled 2.3 million lb.
Brass mill products are widely used in building construction, automotive products, and in electronic and electrical applications.
