Steel imports are down 19.5% so far this year.

Seven-month figures released by U.S. Trade Representative Clayton Yeutter showed that Japan, the leading exporter among the 14 countries participating in the voluntary restraint program, reduced its shipments by less than 1%, sending 3.86 million net tons, while the second-leading supplier, South Korea, cut exports 16.2% to 1.1 million net tons.