FACT SHEET

STEEL IMPORTS FOR DECEMBER 2001
DECREASED 26 PERCENT FROM NOVEMBER 2001

January 29, 2002

Newly released preliminary government figures covering steel imports for the month of December 2001 show that steel imports decreased 26 percent from November 2001 levels.

Total Steel Mill Products ����������������������� �����������

The preliminary data released today show that overall steel imports in December 2001 decreased 26 percent compared to November 2001.� The decrease in December’s total amount of steel imports was due primarily to a decrease in imports of semi-finished steel, cut-to-length plate, rebar, and oil country tubular goods.� December 2001 imports of finished steel products decreased 11 percent compared to November 2001, while imports of semi-finished steel fell 69 percent.���������������

December 2001 imports of steel mill products were down 11 percent compared to December 2000.� December 2001 imports of finished steel were up 2 percent compared to December 2000, while semi-finished steel products were down 58 percent compared to December 2000.� January to December 2001 imports of steel mill products were down 21 percent compared to the same period in 2000.� January to December 2001 imports of finished steel were down 19 percent compared to the same period last year, while imports of semi-finished steel were down 26 percent.�

Hot‑Rolled Steel

December 2001 imports of hot-rolled steel decreased 17 percent from their November 2001 levels and were down 29 percent compared to December 2000 levels.� January to December 2001 imports of hot-rolled steel were down 58 percent compared to the same period last year.� These products were the subject of antidumping and countervailing duty investigations.

Cold-Rolled Steel

December 2001 imports of cold‑rolled steel increased 26 percent compared to November 2001 levels and were up 80 percent compared to December 2000 levels.� January to December 2001 imports of cold-rolled steel were up 5 percent compared to the same period last year.� These products are the subjects of current antidumping and countervailing duty investigations.

Cut-to-Length Plate

December 2001 imports of cut-to-length plate decreased 26 percent compared to November 2001.� December 2001 imports were up 60 percent compared to December 2000.� January to December 2001 imports of cut-to-length plate were down 5 percent compared to the same period last year.��

Corrosion-Resistant Steel

December 2001 imports of corrosion-resistant steel decreased 3 percent compared to November 2001.� December 2001 imports of these products were down 1 percent compared to December 2000.� January to December 2001 imports of corrosion-resistant steel were down 16 percent compared to the same period last year.

Wire Rod

December 2001 imports of wire rod decreased 13 percent compared to November 2001 levels and were down 8 percent compared to December 2000 levels.� January to December 2001 imports of wire rod were up 1 percent compared to the same period last year.� These products are the subjects of current antidumping and countervailing duty investigations.

Heavy Structurals

December 2001 imports of heavy structurals increased 29 percent from their November 2001 level and were down 2 percent compared to December 2000 levels.� January to December 2001 imports of heavy structurals were down 49 percent compared to the same period last year.�

Rebar

December 2001 imports of rebar fell 73 percent compared to November 2001.� December 2001 imports of these products were down 21 percent compared to December 2000.� January to December 2001 imports of rebar were up 5 percent compared to the same period last year.

Hot-Rolled Bar

December 2001 imports of hot-rolled bar decreased 10 percent compared to November 2001 and were up 13 percent compared to December 2000 levels.� January to December 2001 imports of hot-rolled bar were down 16 percent compared to the same period last year.

Standard Pipe

December 2001 imports of standard pipe increased 1 percent compared to November 2001.� December 2001 imports of these products were down 10 percent compared to December 2000, and January to December 2001 imports of standard pipe were down 10 percent compared to the same period last year.�

Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG)

December 2001 imports of OCTG decreased 42 percent compared to November 2001.� December 2001 imports of these products were down 45 percent compared to December 2000.� January to December 2001 imports of OCTG were up 36 percent compared to the same period last year.�

Semi-Finished Steel

December 2001 imports of semi-finished steel decreased 69 percent compared to November 2001 and were down 58 percent compared to December 2000 levels.� January to December 2001 imports of semi-finished steel were down 26 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 2001 decreased 24 percent from their November 2001 levels and were down 9 percent compared to December 2000 levels.� January to December 2001 imports of these products were down 22 percent compared to the same period last year.

Carbon Hot-Rolled Steel - Imports of carbon hot-rolled steel in December 2001 decreased 19 percent compared to November 2001 and were down 30 percent compared to December 2000 levels.� January to December imports of these products were down 59 percent compared to the same period last year.

Carbon Cold-Rolled Steel - Imports of carbon cold-rolled steel in December 2001 increased 33 percent compared to November 2001.� December 2001 imports were up 119 percent compared to December 2000.� January to December imports of these products were up 19 percent compared to the same period last year.

Alloy Steel

Overall imports of alloy steel products in December 2001 decreased 39 percent compared to November 2001 and were down 24 percent compared to December 2000 levels.� January to December 2001 imports of these products were down 16 percent compared to the same period last year.�

Tool Steel - Imports of tool steel in December 2001 decreased 2 percent compared to November 2001.� December 2001 imports were down 28 percent compared to December 2000.� January to December imports of these products were down 13 percent compared to the same period last year.

Stainless Steel���������������

Overall imports of stainless steel products in December 2001 decreased 20 percent from their November 2001 level and were down 14 percent compared to December 2000 levels.� January to December 2001 imports of these products were down 22 percent compared to the same period last year.

Stainless Hot-Rolled Steel - Imports of stainless hot-rolled steel in December 2001 decreased 63 percent compared to November 2001.� December 2001 imports were down 8 percent compared to December 2000.� January to December imports of these products were down 44 percent compared to the same period last year.

Stainless Cold-Rolled Steel - Imports of stainless cold-rolled steel in December 2001 decreased 5 percent compared to November 2001.� December 2001 imports were up 6 percent compared to December 2000.� January to December imports of these products were down 30 percent compared to the same period last year.

Stainless Hot-Rolled Bars - Imports of stainless hot-rolled bars in December 2001 increased 25 percent compared to November 2001 and were down 40 percent compared to December 2000 levels.� January to December imports of these products were down 23 percent compared to the same period last year.����������

Stainless Cold-Finished Bars - Imports of stainless cold-finished bars in December 2001 decreased 3 percent compared to November 2001.� December 2001 imports were down 27 percent compared to December 2000.� January to December imports of these products were down 20 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 2002 preliminary figures will be released on February 26, 2002.

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.