"The decline in steel exports in February compared to January is primarily due to lower shipments to our NAFTA partners and may be explained in part to the extreme weather conditions that made steel operations and logistics difficult in February in large parts of the country. We see continued improvement in demand in the NAFTA region and other international markets as reasons for optimism going forward," concluded Phelps.
Total Steel exports in February 2010 were 890 thousand tons compared to 951 thousand tons in January 2010, a 6.4 percent decrease, and a 47.7 percent increase compared to February 2009. According to year-to-date figures, exports increased 43.5 percent compared to 2009 or from 1.3 million tons in 2009 to 1.8 million tons in 2010.