Newly released preliminary government figures covering steel imports for the month of March show that steel imports decreased 10 percent from February 2000 levels.

Total Steel Mill Products

The preliminary data released today show that overall steel imports in March 2000 fell 10 percent compared to February 2000. Imports of overall steel mill products during the first three months of 2000 rose 23 percent compared to the same period in 1999, primarily due to a 66 percent increase in imports of semifinished steel products. In comparison, imports of finished steel products during the first three months of 2000 increased 14 percent compared to the same period in 1999.

Hot-Rolled Steel

March 2000 imports of hot-rolled steel, which were the subject of recently completed antidumping and countervailing duty cases, fell 20 percent compared to February 2000. Imports of these products during the first three months of 2000 are up 60 percent compared to the same period in 1999.

Cold-Rolled Steel

March 2000 imports of cold-rolled steel, the subject of 6 ongoing antidumping and countervailing duty cases, fell 8 percent compared to February 2000. Imports of these products during the first three months of 2000 are down 28 percent compared to the same period in 1999. Recently the ITC found that imports of these products from Argentina, Brazil, Japan, Russia, South Africa and Thailand did not injure the U.S. industry.

Cut-to-Length Plate

March 2000 imports of cut-to-length plate, the subject of 11 ongoing antidumping and countervailing duty cases, rose 12 percent compared to February 2000. Imports of these products during the first three months of 2000 are down 36 percent compared to the same period in 1999.

March 2000 imports of wire rod, the subject of a recently completed section 201 proceeding, fell 13 percent compared to February 2000. Imports of these products during the first three months of 2000 are up 9 percent compared to the same period in 1999.

Heavy Structurals

March 2000 imports of heavy structurals rose 51 percent compared to February 2000. Imports of these products during the first three months of 2000 are down 21 percent compared to the same period in 1999. These products are the subject of current antidumping and countervailing duty investigations.

Semifinished Steel

March 2000 imports of semifinished steel decreased 37 percent compared to February 2000. Imports of these products during the first three months of 2000 are up 66 percent compared to the same period in 1999.

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 March statistics next month. April preliminary figures will be released on May 25, 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.