Steel imports hovered near record highs.

The United States imported 2.03 million tons of steel products during March, compared to 2.05 million tons in February and 2.22 million tons during March, 1984, the Washington-based American Iron and Steel Institute reported, quoting Commerce Department figures. “During the first quarter of 1985, we witnessed the dismal spectacle of over 6.7 million tons of steel imported into the United States, accounting for almost 28% of the market,” said Donald Trautlein, chairman of the industry group. Shipments from Japan, the largest single source of the nation’s steel imports, stood at 1.7 million tons through March, up 79,000 tons from the 1984 period. Japan’s shipments increased from 507,000 tons in February to 566,000 tons in March. Shipments from the European Economic Community fell from 586,000 tons in February to 505,000 tons in March, although the year-to-date total of 1.8 million was up from 1.3 million tons in the 1984 first quarter.