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 2005 December 2004 Preliminary Preliminary Commodity Grouping Quantity Value Quantity Value Total Selected Commodities 76,531 240,181 95,065 277,251 Ingots And Steel For Castings 1,942 3,927 1,943 5,648 Blooms, Billets And Slabs 6,517 19,236 14,345 35,864 Wire Rods 4,214 10,808 4,101 10,158 Structural Shapes Heavy 149 638 182 576 Plates Cut Lengths 2,610 8,258 2,371 7,536 Plates In Coils 1,897 5,608 2,327 6,140 Bars - Hot Rolled 1,402 5,115 1,552 5,516 Bars - Light Shaped 1,003 2,975 1,226 3,605 Bars - Cold Finished 7,118 25,796 7,212 23,882 Stainless Pipe & Tubing 9,341 44,555 8,627 40,760 Wire Drawn 3,402 13,592 3,580 13,828 Sheets Hot Rolled 729 1,934 3,161 8,140 Sheets Cold Rolled 32,681 84,818 40,553 102,745 Strip - Hot Rolled 62 159 115 314 Strip - Cold Rolled 3,465 12,762 3,768 12,539 ______________________________________________________________ December 2004 Final Commodity Grouping Quantity Value Total Selected Commodities 97,215 282,812 Ingots And Steel For Castings 2,581 5,648 Blooms, Billets And Slabs 14,520 36,415 Wire Rods 4,160 10,279 Structural Shapes Heavy 194 620 Plates Cut Lengths 2,412 7,656 Plates In Coils 2,354 6,247 Bars - Hot Rolled 1,564 5,555 Bars - Light Shaped 1,233 3,631 Bars - Cold Finished 7,419 24,537 Stainless Pipe & Tubing 9,025 42,633 Wire Drawn 3,595 13,903 Sheets Hot Rolled 3,179 8,193 Sheets Cold Rolled 40,954 104,260 Strip - Hot Rolled 115 314 Strip - Cold Rolled 3,911 12,921 ______________________________________________________________ January 2004 December 2003 Final Final Commodity Grouping Quantity Value Quantity Value Total Selected Commodities 52,628 121,063 61,000 135,281 Ingots And Steel For Castings 125 190 127 165 Blooms, Billets And Slabs 7,875 14,375 13,569 22,033 Wire Rods 1,515 2,803 1,464 2,804 Structural Shapes Heavy 180 516 267 794 Plates Cut Lengths 2,084 4,321 1,782 3,974 Plates In Coils 1,224 2,509 2,648 5,260 Bars - Hot Rolled 840 2,254 1,158 2,620 Bars - Light Shaped 918 1,822 1,293 2,725 Bars - Cold Finished 3,709 9,751 3,422 8,490 Stainless Pipe & Tubing 8,327 27,522 7,917 29,155 Wire Drawn 2,762 8,592 2,838 8,363 Sheets Hot Rolled 280 488 260 470 Sheets Cold Rolled 19,819 37,053 20,438 38,094 Strip - Hot Rolled 112 197 66 117 Strip - Cold Rolled 2,857 8,672 3,750 10,216 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 January 2005 (CB-05-23)