March 2001 Steel Imports Down from a Year Ago; Increase from February

Washington, D.C. - Newly released preliminary government figures covering steel imports for the month of March 2001 show that steel imports increased 30 percent from February 2001 levels.

Total Steel Mill Products

The preliminary data released show that overall steel imports in March 2001 increased 30 percent compared to February 2001. The increase in March's imports was due primarily to an increase in imports of wire rod, semi-finished, and cold-rolled steel. March 2001 imports of finished steel products rose 25 percent compared to February 2001, while imports of semi-finished steel rose 48 percent.

March 2001 imports of steel mill products were down 21 percent compared to March 2000. March 2001 imports of finished steel products were down 27 percent compared to March 2000 while semifinished steel imports were up 7 percent.

Hot-Rolled Steel

March 2001 imports of hot-rolled steel increased 2 percent compared February 2001. March 2001 imports of hot-rolled steel were down 63 percent compared to March 2000. These products are the subject of current antidumping and countervailing duty investigations.

Cold-Rolled Steel

March 2001 imports of cold-rolled steel increased 23 percent compared to February 2001. March 2001 imports of cold-rolled steel were up 5 percent compared to March 2000.

Cut-to-Length Plate

March 2001 imports of cut-to-length plate decreased 40 percent compared to February 2001. March 2001 imports are down 18 percent compared to March 2000.

Corrosion-Resistant Steel

March 2001 imports of corrosion-resistant steel increased 3 percent compared to February 2001. March 2001 imports of these products are down 22 percent compared to March 2000.

Wire Rod

March 2001 imports of wire rod increased 301 percent compared to February 2001. March 2001 imports of these products are up 67 percent compared to March 2000.

Heavy Structurals

March 2001 imports of heavy structurals decreased 33 percent compared to February 2001. March 2001 imports of these products are down 73 percent compared to March 2000.

Rebar

March 2001 imports of rebar remained stable compared to February 2001. March 2001 imports of these products are down 52 percent compared to March 2000. These products are the subject of current antidumping and countervailing duty investigations.

Hot-Rolled Bar

March 2001 imports of hot-rolled bar increased 14 percent compared to February 2001. March 2001 imports of these products are down 23 percent compared to March 2000.

Standard Pipe

March 2001 imports of standard pipe increased 26 percent compared to February 2001. March 2001 imports of these products are up 8 percent compared to March 2000.

Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG)

March 2001 imports of OCTG increased 36 percent compared to February 2001. March 2001 imports of these products are up 47 percent compared to March 2000.

Semifinished Steel

March 2001 imports of semifinished steel increased 48 percent compared to February 2001. March 2001 imports of these products are up 7 percent compared to March 2000. 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 1999 and the Report to the President on Global Steel Trade of July 2000. The data released are preliminary and are likely to change somewhat between now and the release of the final March statistics next month. April preliminary figures will be released on May 30, 2001.

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 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.

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