This release contains sensitive economic data not to be released before 
10:00 a.m. Monday, January 31, 2000

  CB-00-20      Press Copy 
  FT-900A (99-12)

For information contact:
Haydn Mearkle    (301) 457-2246
Nick Orsini      (301) 457-2311

 Preliminary: U.S. Imports for Consumption of Steel Products December 1999

     The Bureau of the Census, through the Department of Commerce, announced 
today that preliminary December steel imports were $1.1 billion (2.7 million 
metric tons).  This was virtually the same value, and an increase of 0.1 
million metric tons from the preliminary November totals of $1.1 billion 
(2.6 million metric tons).

     The November to December change in steel imports, based on metric 
tonnage, reflected increases primarily in blooms, billets, and slabs, heavy 
structural shapes, and wire rods.  Monthly changes in steel imports 
reflected increases primarily with Russia, Ukraine, and Italy.

     The year-to-date final statistics through November of 1999 showed steel 
imports of 29.6 million metric tons, a decrease of 5.5 million metric tons 
from the 35.1 million metric tons through November of 1998.  The largest 
commodity decreases were in hot rolled sheets, plates in coils, and heavy 
structural shapes. The largest country decreases were with Russia, Japan, 
and Korea.                                                         


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/foreign-trade/www/.  On the web site you 
can access product by country and country by product tables.

The next release is February 25, 2000                                     

CONTACT: For more information, contact Haydn R. Mearkle (301-457-2246) or
       Nick Orsini (301-457-2311) Foreign Trade Division, Bureau of Census.