This release contains sensitive economic data not to be released before 
10:00 a.m. Thursday, April 20, 2000

  CB-00-66      Press Copy 
  FT-900A (00-03)

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

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

     The Bureau of the Census, through the Department of Commerce, announced 
today that preliminary March steel imports were $1.3 billion (2.8 million 
metric tons).  This was an increase of $0.1 billion and a decrease of 0.2 
million metric tons from the preliminary February totals of $1.2 billion 
(3.0 million metric tons).

     The February to March change in steel imports, based on metric tonnage, 
reflected decreases primarily in blooms, billets, and slabs and hot rolled 
sheets.  Monthly changes in steel imports reflected decreases primarily with 
Mexico, Australia, and Brazil.

     The year to date final statistics through February of 2000 showed steel 
imports of 5.9 million metric tons, an increase of 1.4 million metric tons 
from the 4.5 million metric tons through February of 1999.  The largest 
commodity increases were in blooms, billets, and slabs and hot rolled sheets.  
The largest country increases were with Brazil, Taiwan, and Mexico.

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 May 25, 2000