FACT SHEET

STEEL IMPORTS FOR MARCH 2004

INCREASED 22.4 PERCENT FROM FEBRUARY 2004

April 27, 2004

Newly released preliminary government figures covering steel imports for the month of March 2004 show that steel imports increased 22.4 percent from February 2004 levels.

Total Steel Mill Products

The preliminary data released today show that overall steel imports in March 2004 increased 22.4 percent compared to February 2004.   The increase in March 's total amount of steel imports was due primarily to an increase in imports of wire rods, blooms, slabs, billets, galvanized hot dipped sheets, and strip; and hot rolled sheets.   March 2004 imports of finished steel products increased 24 percent compared to February 2004, and imports of semi-finished steel increased 16.4 percent.

March 2004 imports of steel mill products were up 5.5 percent compared to March 2003.   March 2004 imports of finished steel was up 7.8 percent compared to March 2003, and semi-finished steel products decreased 2.6 percent compared to March 2003.   January to March 2004 imports of steel mill products were up 3.8 percent compared to the same period in 2003.   January to March 2004 imports of finished steel were up 0.5 percent compared to the same period last year, while imports of semi-finished steel are up 16.5 percent.  

Hot-Rolled Steel

March 2004 imports of hot-rolled steel increased 32 percent from their February 2004 levels and were up 12.6 percent compared to March 2003 levels.   January to March 2004 imports of hot-rolled steel were down 17.2 percent compared to the same period last year.

Cold-Rolled Steel

March 2004 imports of cold-rolled steel increased 6.7 percent compared to February 2004 levels and were down 12.9 percent compared to March 2003 levels.   January to March 2004 imports of cold-rolled steel were down 27.7 percent compared to the same period last year.

Cut-to-Length Plate

March 2004 imports of cut-to-length plate increased 0.2 percent compared to February 2004.   March 2004 imports were down 25.4 percent compared to March 2003.   January to March 2004 imports of cut-to-length plate were down 6 percent compared to the same period last year.   

Corrosion-Resistant Steel

March 2004 imports of corrosion-resistant steel increased 58.1 percent compared to February 2004.   March 2004 imports of these products decreased 3.7 percent compared to March 2003.   January to March 2004 imports of corrosion-resistant steel were down 36.2 percent compared to the same period last year.

Wire Rod

March 2004 imports of wire rod increased 73.2 percent compared to February 2004 levels and were up14.2 percent compared to March 2003 levels.   January to March 2004 imports of wire rod were increased 53.6 percent compared to the same period last year.

Heavy Structurals

March 2004 imports of heavy structurals decreased 27.1 percent from their February 2004 level and were up 23.4 percent compared to March 2003 levels.   January to March 2004 imports of heavy structurals were up 29 percent compared to the same period last year.  

Rebar

March 2004 imports of rebar decreased 24.5 percent compared to February 2004.   March 2004 imports of these products were up 5.5 percent compared to March 2003.   January to March 2004 imports of rebar increased up 23.7 percent compared to the same period last year.

Hot-Rolled Bar

March 2004 imports of hot-rolled bar increased 40 percent compared to February 2004 and were up 24.3 percent compared to March 2003 levels.   January to March 2004 imports of hot-rolled bar were up 10.8 percent compared to the same period last year.

Standard Pipe

March 2004 imports of standard pipe decreased 6.9 percent compared to February 2004.   March 2004 imports of these products were up12 percent compared to March 2003, and January to March 2004 imports of standard pipe were up 4.6 percent compared to the same period last year.  

Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG)

March 2004 imports of OCTG increased 33.9 percent compared to February 2004.   March 2004 imports of these products were up 39.1 percent compared to March 2003.   January to March 2004 imports of OCTG were up 66.3 percent compared to the same period last year.  

Semi-Finished Steel

March 2004 imports of semi-finished steel increased 16.4 percent compared to February 2004 and were down 2.6 percent compared to March 2003 levels.   January to March 2004 imports of semi-finished steel were up 16.5 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 2001 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 March 2004 increased 23.3 percent from their February 2004 levels and were up 4.8 percent compared to March 2003 levels.   January to March 2004 imports of these products were increased 3.6 percent compared to the same period last year.

Carbon Hot-Rolled Steel - Imports of carbon hot-rolled steel in March 2004 increased 29.9 percent compared to February 2004 and were up 8.8 percent compared to March 2003 levels.   January to March imports of these products were down 20 percent compared to the same period last year.

Carbon Cold-Rolled Steel - Imports of carbon cold-rolled steel in March 2004 increased 8.1 percent compared to February 2004.   March 2004 imports were down 20.3 percent compared to March 2003.   January to March imports of these products were down 35.2 percent compared to the same period last year.

Alloy Steel

Overall imports of alloy steel products in March 2004 increased 24.9 percent compared to February 2004 and were up 10.6 percent compared to March 2003 levels.   January to March 2004 imports of these products were increased 5 percent compared to the same period last year.  

Tool Steel - Imports of tool steel in March 2004 increased 21.9 percent compared to February 2004.   March 2004 imports were decreased 22.2 percent compared to March 2003.   January to March imports of these products decreased 18.8 percent compared to the same period last year.

Stainless Steel                

Overall imports of stainless steel products in March 2004 decreased 5.9 percent from their February 2004 level and were up 0.7 percent compared to March 2003 levels.   January to March imports of these products increased 1.9 percent compared to the same period last year.

Stainless Hot-Rolled Steel - Imports of stainless hot-rolled steel in March 2004 decreased 5 percent compared to February 2004.   March 2004 imports increased 24.6 percent compared to March 2003.   January to March imports of these products were up 28.8 percent compared to the same period last year.

Stainless Cold-Rolled Steel - Imports of stainless cold-rolled steel in March 2004 decreased 6.7 percent compared to February 2004.   March 2004 imports were decreased 0.2 percent compared to March 2003.   January to March imports of these products increased 3.3 percent compared to the same period last year.

Stainless Hot-Rolled Bars - Imports of stainless hot-rolled bars in March 2004 increased 20.6 percent compared to February 2004 and were up 93.1 percent compared to March 2003 levels.   January to March imports of these products increased 40.3 percent compared to the same period last year.                                   

Stainless Cold-Finished Bars - Imports of stainless cold-finished bars in March 2004 increased 66 percent compared to February 2004.   March 2004 imports were up 23.9   percent compared to March 2003.   January to March imports of these products were down 13 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 March statistics next month.   April 2004 preliminary figures will be released on May 25, 2004.