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, 
March 25, 2003
                                
CB-03-52     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 February 2003

     The U.S. Census Bureau, through the Department of Commerce, announced today that preliminary February steel imports were $0.8 billion (1.5 million metric tons).  This was a decrease of $0.2 billion (0.7 million metric tons) from the preliminary January totals of $1.0 billion (2.2 million metric tons).

     The January to February change in steel imports, based on metric tonnage, reflected decreases primarily in blooms, billets, and slabs;  hot rolled sheets; and wire rods.  Monthly changes in steel imports reflected decreases primarily with Brazil, Russia, and Canada.	

     The year to date final statistics through January 2003 showed steel imports of 2.3 million metric tons, a decrease of 0.2 million metric tons from the 2.4 million metric tons through January 2002.  The largest commodity decrease was in blooms, billets, and slabs.  The largest commodity increase was in hot rolled sheets.  The largest country decreases were with Brazil, Japan, and Korea.  The largest country increase was with 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 April 29, 2003           

SOURCE: Report FT900A (CB-03-52), U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade
        Division, Preliminary FEBRUARY 2003.  For more information, contact 
        Haydn R. Mearkle (301-763-2246) or Nick Orsini (301-763-2311), 
        Foreign Trade Division.