Data released today by the Specialty Steel Industry of North America (SSINA) indicate that while total specialty steel imports for the first quarter of 2001 decreased compared to the same period last year, import penetration did not budge. Imports captured 27% of the US market for specialty steel in the first three months of this year, reflecting no change from the previous year. Import penetration for individual product lines ranged between a high of 86% for tool steel and a low of 19% for both stainless steel sheet/strip and stainless steel plate.
