Newly released preliminary government figures covering steel imports for the month of July show that steel imports increased 4.4 percent from June 2000 levels.

Total Steel Mill Products

The preliminary data released today show that overall steel imports in July 2000 increased 4.4 percent compared to June 2000. The increase in July's imports was due primarily to a 34.4 percent increase in imports of semi-finished steel, which is used by the steel industry to produce finished steel products. July imports of finished steel declined by 1.4 percent compared to June levels.

Imports of overall steel mill products during the first seven months of 2000 are up 18.2 percent compared to the same period in 1999, due in part to a 21.3 percent increase in imports of semifinished steel products. Imports of finished steel products during the first seven months of 2000 increased 17.3 percent compared to the same period in 1999.

Hot-Rolled Steel

July 2000 imports of hot-rolled steel decreased 17.2 percent compared to June 2000. Imports of these products during the first seven months of 2000 are up 55.5 percent compared to the same period in 1999.

Cold-Rolled Steel

July 2000 imports of cold-rolled steel increased 7.2 percent compared to June 2000. Imports of these products during the first seven months of 2000 are down 18.4 percent compared to the same period in 1999.

Cut-to-Length Plate

July 2000 imports of cut-to-length plate increased 10.7 percent compared to June 2000. Imports of these products during the first seven months of 2000 are down 18.3 percent compared to the same period in 1999.

Wire Rod

July 2000 imports of wire rod increased 15.7 percent compared to June 2000. Imports of these products during the first seven months of 2000 are up 1.1 percent compared to the same period in 1999.

Heavy Structurals

July 2000 imports of heavy structurals increased 32.6 percent compared to June 2000. Imports of these products during the first seven months of 2000 are up 19.1 percent compared to the same period in 1999. These products are the subject of current antidumping and countervailing duty investigations.

Rebar

July 2000 imports of rebar decreased 7.4 percent compared to June 2000. Imports of these products during the first seven months of 2000 are up 17.5 percent compared to the same period in 1999. These products are the subject of recently initiated antidumping and countervailing duty investigations.

Semifinished Steel

July 2000 imports of semifinished steel increased 34.4 percent compared to June 2000. Imports of these products during the first seven months of 2000 are up 21.3 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 1999 and the Report to the President on Global Steel Trade of July 2000. The data released today are preliminary and are likely to change somewhat between now and the release of the final July statistics next month. August preliminary figures will be released on September 28, 2000.

Note: With November 1999's release, Census issued revisions to certain country totals within product categories for 1998 and the first seven 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.