United States Department of COMMERCE NEWS  
Washington, D.C. 20230
ECONOMICS AND STATISTICS ADMINISTRATION

Bureau of the Census
This release contains sensitive economic data not to be released 
before 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, June 26, 2001

 CB-01-108    Press Copy 
 FT-900A (01-108)

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

     Preliminary: U.S. Imports for Consumption of Steel Products May 2001

     The Bureau of the Census, through the Department of Commerce, announced 
today that preliminary May steel imports were $0.9 billion (2.0 million metric 
tons).  This was a  decrease of $0.1 billion (0.3 million metric tons) from 
the preliminary April totals of $1.0 billion (2.3 million metric tons).

     The April to May change in steel imports, based on metric tonnage, 
reflected decreases primarily in blooms, billets, and slabs.  Monthly changes 
in steel imports reflected decreases primarily with Russia and Brazil.

     The year to date final statistics through April of 2001 showed steel 
imports of 8.6 million metric tons, a decrease of 3.7 million metric tons 
from the 12.3 million metric tons through April of 2000.  The largest 
commodity decreases were in blooms, billets, and slabs; hot rolled sheets; 
and plates in coils. The largest country decreases were with Brazil, 
Taiwan, and Ukraine.

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 July 31, 2001