The American Iron and Steel Institute said...

The American Iron and Steel Institute said steel imports declined 16% in December from a year earlier to 1.42 million tons, but imports for all of 1988 rose 4.9% to 20.89 million tons. Despite climbing from 19.92 million tons in 1987, imports last year represented a smaller share of the U.S. market, down to 20.3% from 20.9%. December’s imports represented 18.4% of the market, down from 19.7% in December, 1987, when 1.69 million tons of steel entered the country. The market penetration in November, 1988, was 19.7%, or 1.85 million tons.