United States Department of COMMERCE NEWS  
Washington, D.C. 20230             

ECONOMICS AND STATISTICS ADMINISTRATION
U.S. Census Bureau
                                
This release contains sensitive economic data not to be released before 
10:00 a.m. Tuesday, January 28, 2003                               
                                
CB-02-165     Press Copy 
FT-900A (02-10)                           

For information contact:
Haydn Mearkle    (301) 763-2246
Nick Orsini         (301) 763-2311                                
                                
                                 
     Preliminary: U.S. Imports for Consumption of Steel Products December 2002

	The U.S. Census Bureau, through the Department of Commerce, announced today that preliminary December steel imports were $1.0 billion (2.5 million metric tons).  This was virtually the same value and an increase of 0.1 million metric tons from the preliminary November totals of $1.0 billion (2.4 million metric tons).

	The November to December change in steel imports, based on metric tonnage, reflected increases primarily in wire rods and hot rolled sheets.  A decrease occurred primarily in blooms, billets, and slabs.  Monthly changes in steel imports reflected increases primarily with China and Turkey.  Decreases occurred primarily with India, Mexico, and South Africa.

	The year to date final statistics through November 2002 showed steel imports of 27.0 million metric tons, an increase of 1.7 million metric tons from the 25.3 million metric tons through November 2001.  The largest commodity increases were in blooms, billets, and slabs; and hot rolled sheets.  The largest country increases were with Canada, Brazil 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 February 25, 2003

Notice

Effective March 20, new duties were imposed on steel products under the 
safeguard measures provision of the Trade Act of 1974.  This release includes 
new exhibits (Exhibits 5 and 6) that provide information on imports of goods 
by Section 201 remedy category.  Users should note that:

1.   The categories are aggregations of steel products defined by the 
Harmonized Tariff Schedule and include some transactions that are not subject 
to the safeguard measures.

2. The product category aggregations in Exhibit 5 show imports from all countries, 
not just those subject to the safeguard measures.

3. The countries in Exhibit 6 show steel imports from countries primarily 
excluded from the safeguard measures, however, these measures may apply to some 
transactions from some countries in this exhibit.

SOURCE: Report FT900A (CB-02-165), U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade
        Division, Preliminary DECEMBER 2002.  For more information, contact 
        Haydn R. Mearkle (301-763-2246) or Nick Orsini (301-763-2311), 
        Foreign Trade Division.