Not Seasonally Adjusted
                                           
        Exhibit 4B:  U.S. Imports for Consumption of Stainless Steel Products
                 from Selected Countries and Areas:  (Census Basis)
                                           
               Quantity in metric tons/ value in thousands of dollars.
                    Details may not equal totals due to rounding
                                           

                                      December 2005             December 2004
                                      Cumulative to             Cumulative to
                                      Date - Final              Date - Final
Countries and
Areas                           Quantity    Value       Quantity    Value

Total Census Basis                   885,591   3,022,794     916,583   2,521,984

North America                        132,324     397,305     161,603     426,720
    Canada                            20,571     122,039      39,233     162,682
    Mexico                           111,753     275,266     122,371     264,037
Europe                               419,803   1,523,783     456,830   1,264,271
    European Union                   412,653   1,493,043     452,451   1,247,810
        Austria                        8,161      41,718       5,656      24,165
        Belgium                       32,086     118,595      31,358      89,551
        Czech Republic                   533       4,966         811       8,146
        Finland                       19,562      59,460      11,283      31,905
        France                        32,600     147,846      39,288     117,175
        Germany                       61,137     206,466      66,744     193,139
        Hungary                            3           7           9          12
        Italy                         78,576     267,081      81,100     206,926
        Netherlands                      350       2,306         459       2,382
        Poland                           176         537         147         317
        Spain                         34,082     131,712      71,153     174,847
        Sweden                        63,360     263,524      59,277     192,260
        United Kingdom                76,558     229,361      81,432     195,589
        Other EU                       5,469      19,463       3,734      11,398
    Moldova                              (-)         (-)         (-)         (-)
    Norway                                86       1,053          51         174
    Russia                               104         189       1,003       1,900
    Switzerland                        3,457      17,270       2,210       9,841
    Turkey                               155         532          36         238
    Ukraine                            3,174      11,158         769       3,449
    Other Europe                         173         539         310         859
Euro Area                            268,249     981,855     307,635     842,152
Pacific Rim Countries                254,932     880,998     220,292     643,467
    Australia                            388       1,613         276         930
    China                             90,169     270,465      76,204     195,329
    Indonesia                          1,035       3,598         539       1,468
    Japan                             34,230     175,426      24,267      92,855
    Newly Industrialized                                                        
    Countries(NICS)                  125,702     418,457     116,460     346,056
        Hong Kong                        835       2,906         188         657
        Korea                         41,287     143,459      43,652     124,622
        Singapore                      1,335       4,618       1,204       3,420
        Taiwan                        82,245     267,474      71,416     217,356
        Other Pacific Rim              3,407      11,439       2,545       6,828
South/Central America                 21,468      54,091      15,102      33,896
        Argentina                         15          38         (-)           3
        Brazil                        20,880      53,547      14,558      33,089
        Chile                            (-)         (-)          24          19
        Colombia                           7          68         (-)         (-)
        Venezuela                        (-)           9           2           3
        Other S/C A                      565         430         518         781
Other Countries                       57,065     166,617      62,755     153,631
        Egypt                            (-)         (-)         (-)         (-)
        India                         36,500     116,375      36,470      94,677
        South Africa                  14,391      33,191      20,894      44,928
        Thailand                       4,231      11,903       3,824       9,866
        Other                          1,943       5,147       1,566       4,160
                                           
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 2006 (CB-06-29)