This release contains sensitive economic data not to be released 
before 10:00 a.m. Thursday, March 25, 1999

  CB-99-61 Press Copy 
  FT-900A (99-02)

For information contact:
Haydn R. Mearkle  (301) 457-2246 
Richard M. Preuss (301) 457-2311

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


     The Bureau of the Census, through the Department of Commerce, 
announced today that preliminary February steel imports were $0.9 billion 
(2.0 million metric tons).  This was a decrease of $0.2 billion (0.4 
metric tons) from the preliminary January totals of $1.0 billion (2.4 
million metric tons).

     The January to February change in steel imports, based on metric 
tonnage, reflected decreases primarily in sheets hot rolled, sheets cold 
rolled, and plates cut lengths.  The monthly change in steel imports 
reflected decreases primarily with Japan, Australia, and Indonesia.

     The January 1999 final statistics show steel imports of 2.5 million 
metric tons, an increase of 0.2 million metric tons over the 2.3 million
metric tons in January 1998.  The largest commodity increases were in 
structural shapes heavy, sheets cold rolled, and plates cut lengths.  The 
largest country increases were with Korea, China, and Indonesia.

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 April 22, 1999