OTHER NEWS - Feb. 21, 1994

U.S. Steel Imports Rose 14% in 1993: Last year’s increase was the greatest in five years as American steel mills bought a record amount of foreign semi-finished steel to fill a crush of orders. Imports rose to 19.5 million tons from 17.1 million tons in 1992, the American Iron and Steel Institute said, and were higher than in any year since 1988. Semi-finished steel accounted for 26% of the imports, more than doubling to a record 5 million tons in 1993 from 2.39 million tons a year earlier, according to another industry group. Although U.S. steelmakers still view imports as a threat, the surge in semi-finished products was a reflection of robust demand for steel by domestic auto makers, construction companies and manufacturers in 1993, analysts say.