Exhibit 1b: U.S. Imports for Consumption of Stainless Steel Products: (Census Basis) Not Seasonally Adjusted Quantity in metric tons/ value in thousands of dollars. Details may not equal totals due to rounding October 2006 September 2006 Preliminary Preliminary Commodity Grouping Quantity Value Quantity Value Total Selected Commodities 90,876 393,124 72,724 282,258 Ingots And Steel For Castings 838 2,667 321 1,003 Blooms, Billets And Slabs 10,019 35,222 8,045 28,423 Wire Rods 2,366 8,611 1,558 5,542 Structural Shapes Heavy 352 1,867 270 1,077 Plates Cut Lengths 5,805 36,817 3,928 21,171 Plates In Coils 2,645 10,882 1,597 5,462 Bars - Hot Rolled 2,708 12,838 2,054 8,324 Bars - Light Shaped 804 3,138 994 3,266 Bars - Cold Finished 8,541 39,544 4,848 21,156 Stainless Pipe & Tubing 12,940 73,932 10,415 55,886 Wire Drawn 4,047 20,789 3,325 16,411 Sheets Hot Rolled 1,896 4,071 1,749 2,624 Sheets Cold Rolled 34,395 125,919 30,701 100,261 Strip - Hot Rolled 289 1,251 306 927 Strip - Cold Rolled 3,230 15,577 2,613 10,722 -------------------------------------------------------------- September 2006 Final Commodity Grouping Quantity Value Total Selected Commodities 76,573 293,166 Ingots And Steel For Castings 321 1,003 Blooms, Billets And Slabs 8,180 28,856 Wire Rods 1,700 5,886 Structural Shapes Heavy 284 1,136 Plates Cut Lengths 4,463 23,157 Plates In Coils 1,617 5,569 Bars - Hot Rolled 2,293 8,885 Bars - Light Shaped 1,042 3,490 Bars - Cold Finished 5,033 22,205 Stainless Pipe & Tubing 10,840 58,333 Wire Drawn 3,418 16,993 Sheets Hot Rolled 3,137 3,879 Sheets Cold Rolled 31,037 101,594 Strip - Hot Rolled 312 942 Strip - Cold Rolled 2,895 11,239 -------------------------------------------------------------- October 2005 September 2005 Final Final Commodity Grouping Quantity Value Quantity Value Total Selected Commodities 67,072 236,843 67,905 226,736 Ingots And Steel For Castings 1,221 3,926 680 2,272 Blooms, Billets And Slabs 8,211 25,375 7,387 21,662 Wire Rods 1,968 5,526 1,866 6,004 Structural Shapes Heavy 81 355 59 240 Plates Cut Lengths 4,239 12,807 3,856 11,603 Plates In Coils 1,443 4,361 3,445 10,262 Bars - Hot Rolled 1,913 8,683 2,216 8,886 Bars - Light Shaped 813 2,436 421 1,337 Bars - Cold Finished 6,690 26,071 5,989 23,135 Stainless Pipe & Tubing 9,824 59,441 9,720 51,305 Wire Drawn 3,294 14,485 2,819 12,142 Sheets Hot Rolled 1,240 2,477 1,380 3,187 Sheets Cold Rolled 23,370 59,220 24,986 62,679 Strip - Hot Rolled 264 764 760 2,492 Strip - Cold Rolled 2,500 10,916 2,320 9,531 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 October 2006 (CB-06-172)