This release contains sensitive economic data not to be released 
before 10:00 a.m. Thursday, March 23, 2000

  CB-00-51      Press Copy 
  FT-900A (00-02)

For information contact:
Haydn Mearkle    (301) 457-2246
Nick Orsini      (301) 457-2311 

     Preliminary: U.S. Imports for Consumption of Steel Products February 2000

     The Bureau of the Census, through the Department of Commerce, announced 
today that preliminary February steel imports were $1.2 billion (3.0 million 
metric tons).  This was an increase of $0.1 billion (0.3 million metric tons) 
from the preliminary January totals of $1.1 billion (2.7 million metric tons).

     The January to February change in steel imports, based on metric tonnage, 
reflected increases primarily in hot rolled sheets, cold rolled sheets, and 
blooms, billets and slabs.  Monthly changes in steel imports reflected 
increases primarily with Mexico, Ukraine, and Korea.

     The January 2000 final statistics show steel imports of 2.8 million 
metric tons, an increase of 0.3 million metric tons over the 2.5 million 
metric tons in January 1999.  The largest commodity increase was in blooms, 
billets, and slabs.  The largest country increases were with Brazil, Taiwan, 
and Canada. 

Notes:

The data in this report are preliminary and subject to revisions. Analysis 
of recent months for steel product imports indicates the value of 
preliminary data should equal about 96 percent of the final value reported 
in the regular monthly trade statistics report.  Preliminary data reported 
for individual steel categories and at the individual country of origin 
level have been less consistently predictive of the final data reported in 
the regular monthly trade statistics. For further details visit the Foreign 
Trade Division web site at: www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/.  On the web 
site you can access product by country and country by product tables.

The next release is April 20, 2000                                     

Source:  Bureau of the Census, Foreign Trade Division report FT-900A
U.S Imports for Consumption of Steel Products Preliminary February 2000
report issused March 23, 2000.  For further information contact Nick Orsini
at (301)457-2311 or visit www.census.gov/foreign-trade.