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 30, 2004
                                
CB-04-46     Press Copy 
FT-900A (04-02)                           

For information contact:
Haydn Mearkle    (301) 763-2246
Nick Orsini      (301) 763-2311                                
                                
                                 
Preliminary: U.S. Imports for Consumption of Steel Products
February 2004

The U.S. Census Bureau, through the Department of Commerce, announced today that 
preliminary February steel imports were $0.9 billion (1.8 million metric tons).  This was  a 
decrease of $0.1 billion (0.3 million metric tons) from the preliminary January 2004 totals 
of $1.0 billion (2.1 million metric tons).

The January to February change in steel imports, based on metric tonnage, reflected  a 
decrease primarily in blooms, billets, and slabs.  Monthly changes in steel imports 
reflected decreases primarily with Japan, Russia, and Brazil.

The final statistics for January 2004 showed steel imports of 2.1 million metric tons, 
compared with 2.3 million metric tons for January 2003.  The largest commodity decreases 
were in hot dipped galvanized sheets and strips, and hot  rolled sheets.  The largest 
country decreases were with India and Italy.

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 27, 2004                            

SOURCE: Report FT900A (CB-04-46), U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade
        Division, Preliminary February 2004.  For more information, contact 
        Haydn R. Mearkle (301-763-2246) or Nick Orsini (301-763-2311), 
        Foreign Trade Division.