Not Seasonally Adjusted Exhibit 1b: U.S. Imports for Consumption of Stainless Steel Products: (Census Basis) Quantity in metric tons/ value in thousands of dollars. Details may not equal totals due to rounding January 2004 December 2003 Preliminary Preliminary Commodity Grouping Quantity Value Quantity Value Total Selected Commodities 52,181 120,267 60,331 133,809 Ingots And Steel For Castings 149 461 82 165 Blooms, Billets And Slabs 7,761 14,162 13,464 21,888 Wire Rods 1,495 2,772 1,343 2,672 Structural Shapes Heavy 230 516 234 753 Plates Cut Lengths 2,064 4,273 1,757 3,908 Plates In Coils 1,205 2,451 2,624 5,200 Bars - Hot Rolled 821 2,200 1,174 2,641 Bars - Light Shaped 918 1,819 1,286 2,696 Bars - Cold Finished 3,691 9,712 3,407 8,468 Stainless Pipe & Tubing 8,160 27,104 7,687 28,574 Wire Drawn 2,762 8,592 2,899 8,331 Sheets Hot Rolled 247 419 258 459 Sheets Cold Rolled 19,798 37,004 20,416 38,041 Strip - Hot Rolled 52 197 66 117 Strip - Cold Rolled 2,828 8,586 3,633 9,897 ______________________________________________________________ December 2003 Final Commodity Grouping Quantity Value Total Selected Commodities 61,000 135,281 Ingots And Steel For Castings 127 165 Blooms, Billets And Slabs 13,569 22,033 Wire Rods 1,464 2,804 Structural Shapes Heavy 267 794 Plates Cut Lengths 1,782 3,974 Plates In Coils 2,648 5,260 Bars - Hot Rolled 1,158 2,620 Bars - Light Shaped 1,293 2,725 Bars - Cold Finished 3,422 8,490 Stainless Pipe & Tubing 7,917 29,155 Wire Drawn 2,838 8,363 Sheets Hot Rolled 260 470 Sheets Cold Rolled 20,438 38,094 Strip - Hot Rolled 66 117 Strip - Cold Rolled 3,750 10,216 ______________________________________________________________ January 2003 December 2002 Final Final Commodity Grouping Quantity Value Quantity Value Total Selected Commodities 58,853 116,202 62,403 119,140 Ingots And Steel For Castings 2,328 2,807 1,836 2,307 Blooms, Billets And Slabs 8,976 12,041 10,676 13,644 Wire Rods 3,638 5,777 3,580 5,570 Structural Shapes Heavy 141 352 479 1,230 Plates Cut Lengths 2,012 3,477 3,872 5,915 Plates In Coils 957 1,676 1,596 2,305 Bars - Hot Rolled 1,142 2,265 1,488 2,761 Bars - Light Shaped 940 2,077 1,257 2,656 Bars - Cold Finished 5,748 12,118 5,653 12,469 Stainless Pipe & Tubing 6,713 24,164 6,121 21,880 Wire Drawn 2,970 8,754 3,132 8,645 Sheets Hot Rolled 700 660 748 891 Sheets Cold Rolled 18,614 28,879 19,393 29,963 Strip - Hot Rolled 37 125 4 14 Strip - Cold Rolled 3,937 11,031 2,570 8,890 NOTE: See the cover report specifically explaining the current month's preliminary steel imports trade data or www.census.gov/foreign-trade/Press-Release/steel_index.html. CONTACT: For more information, contact Haydn R. Mearkle (301-763-2246) or Nick Orsini (301-763-2311), Foreign Trade Division, U.S. Census Bureau. SOURCE: U.S. Imports for Consumption of Steel Products: Preliminary January 2004 (CB-04-28)