U.S. Census Bureau News			
					
			       U.S. Department of Commerce · Washington, DC 20230			
						
			                      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE		
			            10:00 A.M. EDT WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2013			
					
For information contact:			CB13-34, FT-900A (01-13)		
Matthew Przybocki             		        (301) 763-3148				
Maria Iseman                    		(301) 763-2311				
						
                         Preliminary: U.S. Imports for Consumption of Steel Products						
		                                  January 2013				
						
     The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that preliminary January steel imports were $2.5 billion (2.3 million metric tons) 

compared to the preliminary December totals of $2.1 billion (2.1 million metric tons). The January change in steel imports based 

on metric tonnage reflected increases primarily in oil country goods and hot dipped sheets and strips galvanized and decreases 

primarily in  blooms, billets and slabs.  Increases occurred primarily with Korea and Canada.  Decreases occurred primarily with 

Russia and Australia. The year to date final statistics through December 2012 showed steel imports of 30.4 million metric tons 

compared with 25.9 million metric tons through December 2011. The largest commodity increases occurred primarily in blooms, 

billets, and slabs and oil country goods. The largest country increases occurred primarily with Russia, Brazil, and Korea.  

Decreases occurred primarily with Australia.		
						
						
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/trade. On the website, you can access product by country and country by product

tables.						
						
The next release is March 26, 2013.