This release contains sensitive economic data not to be released 
before 10:00 a.m. Thursday, July 22, 1999

  CB-99-141 Press Copy 
  FT-900A (99-06)

For information contact:

Haydn Mearkle    (301) 457-2246
Nick Orsini      (301) 457-2311 

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


     The Bureau of the Census, through the Department of Commerce, announced 
today that preliminary June steel imports were $1.0 billion (2.7 million 
metric tons).  This was a decrease of $0.1 billion (0.3 million metric tons) 
from the preliminary May totals of $1.1 billion (3.0 million metric tons).

     The May to June change in steel imports, based on metric tonnage, 
reflected decreases primarily in blooms, billets and slabs; wire rods; 
and plates in coils. Monthly changes in steel imports reflected decreases 
primarily with Mexico, Japan, and Spain. 

     The year-to-date final statistics through May  of 1999 showed steel 
imports of 12.5 million metric tons, a decrease of 0.7 million metric tons 
from the 13.2 million metric tons through May 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 Ukraine.                                                                    

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 August 26, 1999


SOURCE: Report FT900A (CB-99-141), Bureau of the Census, Foreign Trade
        Division, June 1999 preliminary.  For more information, contact 
        Haydn R. Mearkle (301-457-2246) or Nick Orsini (301-457-2311), 
        Foreign Trade Division.