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, January 29, 2002                                
                                
CB-02-14     Press Copy 
FT-900A (01-12)                  

For information contact:
Haydn Mearkle    (301) 457-2246
Nick Orsini         (301) 457-2311                                 
                                
                                
     Preliminary: U.S. Imports for Consumption of Steel Products December 2001

     The Bureau of the Census, through the Department of Commerce, announced 
today that preliminary December steel imports were $0.8 billion (1.9 million 
metric tons).  This was a decrease of $0.1 billion (0.5 million metric tons) 
from the preliminary November totals of $0.9 billion (2.4 million metric tons).

     The November to December 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 Brazil and 
Canada.

     The year to date final statistics through November of 2001 showed steel 
imports of 25.3 million metric tons, a decrease of 7.0 million metric tons 
through November 2000.  The largest commodity decreases were in hot rolled 
sheets; blooms, billets and slabs; heavy structural shapes; and plates in 
coils.  The largest country decreases were with Ukraine, India, China, 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 February 26, 2002                                   

SOURCE: Report FT900A (CB-02-14), U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade
        Division, Preliminary DECEMBER 2001.  For more information, contact 
        Haydn R. Mearkle (301-457-2246) or Nick Orsini (301-457-2311), 
        Foreign Trade Division.