FACT SHEET

STEEL IMPORTS FOR DECEMBER 2002
DECREASED 1.2 PERCENT FROM NOVEMBER 2002

January 28, 2003

Newly released preliminary government figures covering steel imports for the month of December 2002 show that steel imports decreased 1.2 percent from November 2002 levels.

Total Steel Mill Products

The preliminary data released today show that overall steel imports in December 2002 decreased 1.2 percent compared to November 2002. The decrease in December's total amount of steel imports was due primarily to a decrease in imports of semi-finished steel, rebar, corrosion resistant steel, and cold-rolled steel. December 2002 imports of finished steel products increased 6 percent compared to November 2002, while imports of semi-finished steel fell 23 percent.

December 2002 imports of steel mill products were up 23 percent compared to December 2001. December 2002 imports of finished steel were up 16 percent compared to December 2001, while semi-finished steel products were up 57 percent compared to December 2001. January to December 2002 imports of steel mill products were up 8 percent compared to the same period in 2001. January to December 2002 imports of finished steel were up only 0.2 percent compared to the same period last year, while imports of semi-finished steel were up 37 percent.

Hot-Rolled Steel

December 2002 imports of hot-rolled steel increased 21 percent from their November 2002 levels and were up 166 percent compared to December 2001 levels. January to December 2002 imports of hot-rolled steel were up 55 percent compared to the same period last year. These products were the subject of antidumping and countervailing duty investigations.

Cold-Rolled Steel

December 2002 imports of cold-rolled steel decreased 27 percent compared to November 2002 levels and were down 50 percent compared to December 2001 levels. January to December 2002 imports of cold-rolled steel were down 37 percent compared to the same period last year. These products are the subject of current antidumping and countervailing duty investigations.

Cut-to-Length Plate

December 2002 imports of cut-to-length plate decreased 5 percent compared to November 2002. December 2002 imports were down 16 percent compared to December 2001. January to December 2002 imports of cut-to-length plate were down 11 percent compared to the same period last year.

Corrosion-Resistant Steel

December 2002 imports of corrosion-resistant steel decreased 28 percent compared to November 2002. December 2002 imports of these products were up 36 percent compared to December 2001. January to December 2002 imports of corrosion-resistant steel were up 37 percent compared to the same period last year.

Wire Rod

December 2002 imports of wire rod increased 204 percent compared to November 2002 levels and were up 73 percent compared to December 2001 levels. January to December 2002 imports of wire rod were up 15 percent compared to the same period last year. These products are the subject of current antidumping and countervailing duty investigations.

Heavy Structurals

December 2002 imports of heavy structurals increased 41 percent from their November 2002 level and were down 41 percent compared to December 2001 levels. January to December 2002 imports of heavy structurals were down 27 percent compared to the same period last year.

Rebar

December 2002 imports of rebar fell 52 percent compared to November 2002. December 2002 imports of these products were down 41 percent compared to December 2001. January to December 2002 imports of rebar were down 27 percent compared to the same period last year.

Hot-Rolled Bar

December 2002 imports of hot-rolled bar decreased 10 percent compared to November 2002 and were down 4 percent compared to December 2001 levels. January to December 2002 imports of hot-rolled bar were up 10 percent compared to the same period last year.

Standard Pipe

December 2002 imports of standard pipe decreased 10 percent compared to November 2002. December 2002 imports of these products were down 15 percent compared to December 2001, and January to December 2002 imports of standard pipe were down 5 percent compared to the same period last year.

Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG)

December 2002 imports of OCTG decreased 53 percent compared to November 2002. December 2002 imports of these products were down 46 percent compared to December 2001. January to December 2002 imports of OCTG were down 50 percent compared to the same period last year.

Semi-Finished Steel

December 2002 imports of semi-finished steel decreased 23 percent compared to November 2002 and were up 57 percent compared to December 2001 levels. January to December 2002 imports of semi-finished steel were up 37 percent compared to the same period last year. Imports of these products are used by U.S. steel companies to produce finished products.

EXPANDED BREAKOUT BY GRADE

Since May the U.S. Census Bureau (Census) expanded its early release of steel import data to include separate breakouts for carbon, alloy and stainless steel in each of the product categories. The following lists some of the highlights from these new breakouts:

Carbon Steel

Overall imports of carbon steel products in December 2002 increased 0.1 percent from their November 2002 levels and were up 31 percent compared to December 2002 levels. January to December 2002 imports of these products were up 9 percent compared to the same period last year.

Carbon Hot-Rolled Steel - Imports of carbon hot-rolled steel in December 2002 increased 25.2 percent compared to November 2002 and were up 189 percent compared to December 2001 levels. January to December imports of these products were up 58 percent compared to the same period last year.

Carbon Cold-Rolled Steel - Imports of carbon cold-rolled steel in December 2002 decreased 32 percent compared to November 2002. December 2002 imports were down 55 percent compared to December 2001. January to December imports of these products were down 40 percent compared to the same period last year.

Alloy Steel

Overall imports of alloy steel products in December 2002 decreased 9 percent compared to November 2002 and were down 14 percent compared to December 2001 levels. January to December 2002 imports of these products were down 3 percent compared to the same period last year.

Tool Steel - Imports of tool steel in December 2002 increased 2 percent compared to November 2002. December 2002 imports were up 34 percent compared to December 2001. January to December imports of these products were down 1 percent compared to the same period last year.

Stainless Steel

Overall imports of stainless steel products in December 2002 decreased 11 percent from their November 2002 level and were down 6 percent compared to December 2001 levels. January to December 2002 imports of these products were up 1 percent compared to the same period last year.

Stainless Hot-Rolled Steel - Imports of stainless hot-rolled steel in December 2002 decreased 34 percent compared to November 2002. December 2002 imports were down 5 percent compared to December 2001. January to December imports of these products were up 15 percent compared to the same period last year.

Stainless Cold-Rolled Steel - Imports of stainless cold-rolled steel in December 2002 increased 4 percent compared to November 2002. December 2002 imports were up 12 percent compared to December 2001. January to December imports of these products were up 12 percent compared to the same period last year.

Stainless Hot-Rolled Bars - Imports of stainless hot-rolled bars in December 2002 decreased 13 percent compared to November 2002 and were up 23 percent compared to December 2001 levels. January to December imports of these products were down 22 percent compared to the same period last year.

Stainless Cold-Finished Bars - Imports of stainless cold-finished bars in December 2002 decreased 5 percent compared to November 2002. December 2002 imports were up 22 percent compared to December 2001. January to December imports of these products were down 11 percent compared to the same period last year.

These figures are being provided on an expedited basis and will continue to be released on this schedule each month. The data released today are preliminary and are likely to change somewhat between now and the release of the final December statistics next month. January 2003 preliminary figures will be released on February 25, 2003.

Note: Census issued revisions to certain country totals within product categories for 1998 and the first six months of 1999. Only individual country totals within certain product categories were affected by these revisions; the overall totals for these product categories were not affected. These revisions have been incorporated into this fact sheet and the accompanying tables. Detailed reports containing the revisions to the data for 1998 and the period January to June 1999 are available on the Census Bureau web site.

Data Tables