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, 
June 29, 2004
                                
CB-04-100     Press Copy 
FT-900A (04-05)                           

For information contact:
Haydn Mearkle    (301) 763-2246
Nick Orsini      (301) 763-2311                                
                                
                                 
Preliminary: U.S. Imports for Consumption of Steel Products
May 2004
The U.S. Census Bureau, through the Department of Commerce, announced 
today that preliminary May steel imports were $1.5 billion (2.3 million 
metric tons) compared with $1.3 billion (2.2 million metric tons) in 
the  preliminary April report.   

The April to May change in steel imports, based on metric tonnage, 
reflected increases primarily in blooms, billets, and slabs and cold 
rolled sheets.  Monthly changes in steel imports reflected increases 
primarily with Brazil, Germany, and Australia.  A decrease occurred 
primarily with Turkey.   

The year to date final statistics through April 2004 showed steel 
imports of 8.4 million metric tons, compared with 7.5 million metric 
tons through April 2003.  The largest commodity increases were in wire 
rods and blooms, billets, and slabs.  The largest country increases were 
with Mexico, Canada, Brazil, and Turkey. 

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 July 27, 2004                            

SOURCE: Report FT900A (CB-04-100), U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade
        Division, Preliminary May 2004.  For more information, contact 
        Haydn R. Mearkle (301-763-2246) or Nick Orsini (301-763-2311), 
        Foreign Trade Division.