Newly released preliminary government figures covering steel imports for the month of May show that steel imports decreased 13 percent from April 2000 levels.

Total Steel Mill Products

The preliminary data released today show that overall steel imports in May 2000 fell 13 percent compared to April 2000. The decrease in May's imports was due primarily to a 37 percent decrease in imports of semi-finished steel, which is used by the steel industry to produce finished steel products. May imports of finished steel fell 3 percent compared to April levels.

Imports of overall steel mill products during the first five months of 2000 are up 22 percent compared to the same period in 1999, primarily due to a 42 percent increase in imports of semifinished steel products. In comparison, imports of finished steel products during the first five months of 2000 increased 17 percent compared to the same period in 1999.

Hot-Rolled Steel

May 2000 imports of hot-rolled steel, which were the subject of recently completed antidumping and countervailing duty cases, fell 7 percent compared to April 2000. Imports of these products during the first five months of 2000 are up 63 percent compared to the same period in 1999.

Cold-Rolled Steel

May 2000 imports of cold-rolled steel, the subject of five ongoing antidumping and countervailing duty cases, rose 4 percent compared to April 2000. Imports of these products during the first five months of 2000 are down 25 percent compared to the same period in 1999. Recently the ITC found that imports of these products from Argentina, Brazil, Japan, Russia, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey and Venezuela did not injure the U.S. industry.

Cut-to-Length Plate

May 2000 imports of cut-to-length plate, the subject of recently completed antidumping and countervailing duty cases, rose 11 percent compared to April 2000. Imports of these products during the first five months of 2000 are down 18 percent compared to the same period in 1999.

Wire Rod

May 2000 imports of wire rod, the subject of a recently completed section 201 proceeding, rose 1 percent compared to April 2000. Imports of these products during the first five months of 2000 are up 1 percent compared to the same period in 1999.

Heavy Structurals

May 2000 imports of heavy structurals rose 34 percent compared to April 2000. Imports of these products during the first five months of 2000 are down 3 percent compared to the same period in 1999. These products are the subject of current antidumping and countervailing duty investigations.

Semifinished Steel

May 2000 imports of semifinished steel decreased 37 percent compared to April 2000. Imports of these products during the first five months of 2000 are up 42 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 May statistics next month. June preliminary figures will be released on July 27, 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.