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 March 2004 February 2004 Preliminary Preliminary Commodity Grouping Quantity Value Quantity Value Total Selected Commodities 63,490 172,669 62,567 151,512 Ingots And Steel For Castings 176 390 77 163 Blooms, Billets And Slabs 7,952 17,352 12,539 24,016 Wire Rods 2,231 5,054 2,269 4,888 Structural Shapes Heavy 378 1,138 150 345 Plates Cut Lengths 3,106 7,488 2,363 5,242 Plates In Coils 2,676 7,305 2,563 5,821 Bars - Hot Rolled 1,969 6,965 1,619 3,873 Bars - Light Shaped 2,121 5,074 905 2,046 Bars - Cold Finished 5,220 13,778 3,030 7,599 Stainless Pipe & Tubing 8,905 36,676 7,112 28,391 Wire Drawn 3,339 11,774 2,803 9,064 Sheets Hot Rolled 429 769 660 1,276 Sheets Cold Rolled 21,557 47,767 23,917 50,588 Strip - Hot Rolled 11 77 9 72 Strip - Cold Rolled 3,420 11,063 2,551 8,129 ______________________________________________________________ February 2004 Final Commodity Grouping Quantity Value Total Selected Commodities 67,486 161,580 Ingots And Steel For Castings 200 360 Blooms, Billets And Slabs 16,615 32,123 Wire Rods 2,269 4,888 Structural Shapes Heavy 150 345 Plates Cut Lengths 2,403 5,366 Plates In Coils 2,563 5,821 Bars - Hot Rolled 1,632 3,997 Bars - Light Shaped 905 2,046 Bars - Cold Finished 3,144 7,893 Stainless Pipe & Tubing 7,250 28,753 Wire Drawn 2,857 9,255 Sheets Hot Rolled 676 1,338 Sheets Cold Rolled 24,199 51,136 Strip - Hot Rolled 40 72 Strip - Cold Rolled 2,583 8,187 ______________________________________________________________ March 2003 February 2003 Final Final Commodity Grouping Quantity Value Quantity Value Total Selected Commodities 63,020 123,371 58,258 111,877 Ingots And Steel For Castings 3,205 4,387 2,763 3,917 Blooms, Billets And Slabs 10,788 15,216 10,938 14,791 Wire Rods 3,919 6,130 1,936 3,155 Structural Shapes Heavy 121 357 45 150 Plates Cut Lengths 2,107 3,531 2,162 3,799 Plates In Coils 2,102 3,200 1,787 2,960 Bars - Hot Rolled 1,020 1,923 1,004 1,946 Bars - Light Shaped 770 1,714 897 1,880 Bars - Cold Finished 4,212 9,756 3,914 8,735 Stainless Pipe & Tubing 6,876 25,114 5,766 21,201 Wire Drawn 2,470 7,224 2,299 6,637 Sheets Hot Rolled 361 712 216 333 Sheets Cold Rolled 21,982 34,882 20,895 32,324 Strip - Hot Rolled 39 71 21 44 Strip - Cold Rolled 3,050 9,154 3,617 10,005 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 March 2004 (CB-04-62)