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 December 2004 November 2004 Preliminary Preliminary Commodity Grouping Quantity Value Quantity Value Total Selected Commodities 95,065 277,251 76,350 223,841 Ingots And Steel For Castings 1,943 5,648 642 1,148 Blooms, Billets And Slabs 14,345 35,864 13,232 32,658 Wire Rods 4,101 10,158 3,877 9,635 Structural Shapes Heavy 182 576 309 581 Plates Cut Lengths 2,371 7,536 2,905 9,636 Plates In Coils 2,327 6,140 1,800 5,316 Bars - Hot Rolled 1,552 5,516 1,427 4,859 Bars - Light Shaped 1,226 3,605 1,043 3,101 Bars - Cold Finished 7,212 23,882 4,997 17,414 Stainless Pipe & Tubing 8,627 40,760 7,357 34,361 Wire Drawn 3,580 13,828 2,939 11,904 Sheets Hot Rolled 3,161 8,140 2,540 8,408 Sheets Cold Rolled 40,553 102,745 30,313 74,771 Strip - Hot Rolled 115 314 22 60 Strip - Cold Rolled 3,768 12,539 2,946 9,989 ______________________________________________________________ November 2004 Final Commodity Grouping Quantity Value Total Selected Commodities 86,652 249,265 Ingots And Steel For Castings 680 1,268 Blooms, Billets And Slabs 19,351 46,041 Wire Rods 4,255 10,655 Structural Shapes Heavy 175 653 Plates Cut Lengths 2,973 9,902 Plates In Coils 1,924 5,779 Bars - Hot Rolled 1,480 5,012 Bars - Light Shaped 1,151 3,421 Bars - Cold Finished 5,160 18,033 Stainless Pipe & Tubing 7,887 36,904 Wire Drawn 3,121 12,678 Sheets Hot Rolled 3,182 9,121 Sheets Cold Rolled 31,654 78,220 Strip - Hot Rolled 22 60 Strip - Cold Rolled 3,638 11,518 ______________________________________________________________ December 2003 November 2003 Final Final Commodity Grouping Quantity Value Quantity Value Total Selected Commodities 61,000 135,281 52,000 121,138 Ingots And Steel For Castings 127 165 133 236 Blooms, Billets And Slabs 13,569 22,033 4,977 9,294 Wire Rods 1,464 2,804 1,973 3,470 Structural Shapes Heavy 267 794 145 385 Plates Cut Lengths 1,782 3,974 1,759 3,387 Plates In Coils 2,648 5,260 3,343 5,887 Bars - Hot Rolled 1,158 2,620 916 2,053 Bars - Light Shaped 1,293 2,725 1,206 2,314 Bars - Cold Finished 3,422 8,490 3,000 7,301 Stainless Pipe & Tubing 7,917 29,155 8,480 31,419 Wire Drawn 2,838 8,363 2,594 8,669 Sheets Hot Rolled 260 470 557 904 Sheets Cold Rolled 20,438 38,094 20,612 38,168 Strip - Hot Rolled 66 117 28 53 Strip - Cold Rolled 3,750 10,216 2,277 7,596 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 Nick Orsini (301-763-6959) or Vanessa Ware (301-763-2311), Foreign Trade Division, U.S. Census Bureau. SOURCE: U.S. Imports for Consumption of Steel Products: Preliminary December 2004 (CB-05-09)