Figure 6. Iron and Steel Imports Capture Market Growth Figure 6 is a line graph of three related statistics: U.S. coke supply, U.S. blast furnace production, and U.S. imports of iron and steel. The data are annual, running from 1991 through 2000. The plot for coke supply depicts a stable condition, trending slightly downward from more than 24 million to about 23 million short tons per year. Blast furnace production also plots relatively level, rising from less than 50 million to about 56 million short tons per year in 1995 before declining to the 51-52 million short-ton-range by the end of the decade. The statistics for imports of iron and steel clearly define different behavior, rising some and falling some, but trending strongly upward from about 20 million to about 52 million short tons 1991 through 2000. Back