July 22, 2000

Newly released preliminary government figures covering steel imports for the month of June show that steel imports decreased 4 percent from May 2000 levels.

Total Steel Mill Products

The preliminary data released today show that overall steel imports in June 2000 fell 4 percent compared to May 2000. The decrease in June's imports was due primarily to a 28 percent decrease in imports of semi-finished steel, which is used by the steel industry to produce finished steel products. June imports of finished steel rose 3 percent compared to May levels.

Imports of overall steel mill products during the first six months of 2000 are up 20 percent compared to the same period in 1999, due in part to a 27 percent increase in imports of semifinished steel products. Imports of finished steel products during the first six months of 2000 increased 18 percent compared to the same period in 1999.

Hot-Rolled Steel

June 2000 imports of hot-rolled steel rose 7 percent compared to May 2000. Imports of these products during the first six months of 2000 are up 65 percent compared to the same period in 1999.

Cold-Rolled Steel

June 2000 imports of cold-rolled steel rose 14 percent compared to May 2000. Imports of these products during the first six months of 2000 are down 22 percent compared to the same period in 1999.

Cut-to-Length Plate

June 2000 imports of cut-to-length plate fell 5 percent compared to May 2000. Imports of these products during the first six months of 2000 are down 25 percent compared to the same period in 1999.

Wire Rod

June 2000 imports of wire rod rose 9 percent compared to May 2000. Imports of these products during the first six months of 2000 are up 4 percent compared to the same period in 1999.

Heavy Structurals

June 2000 imports of heavy structurals fell 15 percent compared to May 2000. Imports of these products during the first six months of 2000 are up 6 percent compared to the same period in 1999. These products are the subject of current antidumping and countervailing duty investigations.

Rebar

June 2000 imports of rebar increased 114 percent compared to May 2000. Imports of these products during the first six months of 2000 are up 25 percent compared to the same period in 1999. These products are the subject of recently initiated antidumping and countervailing duty investigations.

Semifinished Steel

June 2000 imports of semifinished steel decreased 28 percent compared to May 2000. Imports of these products during the first six months of 2000 are up 27 percent compared to the same period in 1999. Imports of these products are used by U.S. steel companies to produce finished products.

These figures are being provided on an expedited basis and will continue to be released on this schedule each month, consistent with the President's steel action program of August 5, 1999. The data released today are preliminary and are likely to change somewhat between now and the release of the final June statistics next month. July preliminary figures will be released on August 24, 2000.

Note: With November 1999's release, 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 grand totals for these product categories were not affected. These revisions have been incorporated into this fact sheet and the accompanying data tables. Detailed reports containing the 1998 and January to June 1999 revisions are available on the Census Bureau web site.