Steel imports rose above the 2-million ton level.

U.S. producers said February’s imports captured more than one quarter of the domestic market, with nearly 500,000 tons of metal in excess of the target stet for President Reagan’s trade quotas. “Almost 18 months after President Reagan announced his program to limit steel imports. . .to 20.20% of the U.S. market, we find that February imports. . .have taken an outrageous 26.6% of the market,” said Donald H. Trautlein, chairman of the American Iron and Steel Institute.