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, October 30, 2001                                
                                
CB-01-174      Press Copy 
FT-900A (01-09)                   

For information contact:
Haydn Mearkle    (301) 457-2246
Nick Orsini          (301) 457-2311 
                                
	Preliminary: U.S. Imports for Consumption of Steel Products September 2001
                          
     The Bureau of the Census, through the Department of Commerce, announced 
today that preliminary September steel imports were $0.8 billion (2.0 million 
metric tons).  This was a decrease of $0.2 billion (0.4 million metric tons) 
from the preliminary August totals of $1.0 billion (2.4 million metric tons).

     The August to September change in steel imports, based on metric tonnage, 
reflected decreases primarily in blooms, billets, and slabs and reinforcing bars.  
Monthly changes in steel imports reflected decreases primarily with Japan and 
Mexico.

     The year to date final statistics through August of 2001 showed steel 
imports of 18.0 million metric tons, a decrease of 7.0 million metric tons from 
the 24.9 million metric tons through August of 2000.  The largest commodity 
decreases were in hot rolled sheets; blooms, billets, and slabs; plates in coils; 
and heavy structural shapes.  The largest country decreases were with Ukraine, 
Brazil, India, and Taiwan.

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 November 27, 2001                                     

SOURCE: Report FT900A (CB-01-141), U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade
        Division, Preliminary JULY 2001.  For more information, contact 
        Haydn R. Mearkle (301-457-2246) or Nick Orsini (301-457-2311), 
        Foreign Trade Division.