Newly released preliminary government figures covering steel imports for the month of August show that steel imports decreased 1 percent from July 2000 levels.

Total Steel Mill Products

The preliminary data released today show that overall steel imports in August 2000 decreased 1 percent compared to July 2000. The decrease in August's imports was due primarily to a decrease in imports of cold-rolled steel, heavy structurals and rebar. August imports of finished steel products fell 3 percent compared to July, while imports of semi-finished steel rose 8 percent.

August 2000 imports of steel mill products were up 7 percent compared to August 1999 but down 21 percent compared to August 1998. August 2000 imports of finished steel imports were up 11 percent compared to August 1999 but down 27 percent compared to August 1998.

Imports of overall steel mill products during the first eight months of 2000 are up 17 percent compared to the same period in 1999 and up 3 percent compared to same period in 1998, due in part to large increases in imports of semifinished steel which are used by the steel industry to produce finished steel products. January through August 2000 imports of semifinished steel were up 18 percent compared to the same period in 1999 and 35 percent compared to the same period in 1998. Finished steel imports during the first eight months of this year were up 17 percent compared to the same period in 1999 but down 4 percent compared to the same period in 1998.

Hot-Rolled Steel

August 2000 imports of hot-rolled steel remained unchanged from July 2000. August 2000 imports of hot-rolled steel were up 10 percent compared to August 1999 but were down 54 percent compared to August 1998.

Imports of these products during the first eight months of 2000 are up 49 percent compared to the same period in 1999 but were down 16 percent compared to the same period in 1998.

Cold-Rolled Steel

August 2000 imports of cold-rolled steel decreased 16 percent compared to July 2000. August 2000 imports of cold-rolled steel were down 7 percent compared to August 1999 and down 42 percent compared to August 1998. Imports of these products during the first eight months of 2000 are down 17 percent compared to the same period in 1999.

Cut-to-Length Plate

August 2000 imports of cut-to-length plate increased 55 percent compared to July 2000. August 2000 imports are up 195 percent compared to August 1999 but down 54 percent compared to August 1998. Imports of these products during the first eight months of 2000 are down 4 percent compared to the same period in 1999.

Wire Rod

August 2000 imports of wire rod increased 12 percent compared to July 2000. Imports of these products during the first eight months of 2000 are up 1 percent compared to the same period in 1999.

Heavy Structurals

August 2000 imports of heavy structurals decreased 20 percent compared to July 2000. Imports of these products during the first eight months of 2000 are up 25 percent compared to the same period in 1999.

Rebar

August 2000 imports of rebar decreased 14 percent compared to July 2000. Imports of these products during the first eight months of 2000 are up 9 percent compared to the same period in 1999. These products are the subject of recently initiated antidumping and countervailing duty investigations.

Semifinished Steel

August 2000 imports of semifinished steel increased 8 percent compared to July 2000. Imports of these products during the first eight months of 2000 are up 18 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 August statistics next month. September preliminary figures will be released on October 26, 2000.

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