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Click on a question below to view the answer.
- What information does SteelFacts make available?
- SteelFacts tracks the domestic, import and export shipment volumes of more than 30 steel mill and semi-finished steel products. These products are grouped according the AISI’s classifications and definitions. All shipment information is tracked on a monthly basis and can be broken down by grade for domestic, imports and exports. For import and export shipments it is also possible to identify the country of origin or destination as well as the port of entry or exit. Import and export shipments include a greater level of detail than domestic shipments (10-digit HTS#’s) and are mapped to the appropriate higher level product grouping for comparison with domestic shipments. SteelFacts also provides “customs value” for import and export shipments which may be aligned with import and export shipment volumes for further analysis.
- Is the information in SteelFacts the same as the information that I am accustomed to receiving from the AISI?
- Yes. The domestic shipment information is actually information from the AISI. The import and export information is also the same information historically reported by the AISI, but it is obtained directly from the same source that the AISI uses. The import and export information is grouped and organized according to the AISI’s classification and definition schedule.
- How do I access SteelFacts?
- SteelFacts is accessed through your web browser over the internet. If you have access to the internet and a web browser you will be able to access SteelFacts.
- Will SteelFacts allow me to incorporate data with my other software applications?
- Yes. SteelFacts provides several means for downloading data after you have completed your inquiry. A popular format is a .csv file which enables a user to save their inquiry results in a format that can be imported into Excel for additional analysis and formatting as well as subsequent transfer to other applications such as Power Point.
- Can I simplify SteelFacts to only look at the information I am interested in without having to re-navigate in every session?
- Yes. Once the user has found a configuration of the data that provides the information that they want they often want to be able to return to that same configuration repeatedly in the future. SteelFacts enables the user to save particular views of the data to the users account so that every time they go to their SteelFacts account they can see a saved configuration of the data with the most recent updates.
- Does SteelFacts provide information that I couldn’t get with my previous AISI reports?
- Yes. Because of format limitations it has previously been difficult or impossible to see some arrangements of import and export information. Specifically, one valuable arrangement of information that is available with SteelFacts but unavailable in historical AISI report formats is the simultaneous identification of country of origin and port of entry for imports (and country of destination and port of exit for exports). For example, with SteelFacts it is possible to see the volume and value of hot roll sheet that came from Russia through Philadelphia.
- Why can’t I see the domestic shipments for HTS#’s?
- Domestic shipments are not tracked at the HTS# level of detail. HTS#’s provide more specific definitions of products than higher level AISI product definitions. Domestic producers do not report their shipments specifically enough to fit into HTS#’s.
- What is ADC?
- ADC means Apparent Domestic Consumptions. This value is derived via the following formula: Domestic shipments – Exports + Imports.
- Can SteelFacts allow me to view data in other units (rather than Tons)?
- Yes. SteelFacts allows the user to convert shipment volumes to Metric Tonnes.
- Who decides what steel product group each HTS# belongs to?
- The AISI decides which steel product group each import and export HTS# will “map” to.
- What level of detail does SteelFacts provide?
- For domestic shipments SteelFacts provides monthly shipment volume data by steel product category and within each product category a further breakdown is available by grade. For import and export shipments SteelFacts provides monthly shipment volume and value data by steel product category and by more detailed HTS# detail (there are typically several to many HTS#’s that correspond to each steel product category). Import and export shipments may also be grouped by grade with steel product category. Import and export shipment volumes and values may also be viewed by country of origin/destination as well as port of entry/exit.
- Can I look at just a certain grade for the steel products I’m interested in?
- Yes. It is possible to select a single grade, such as “alloy”, and view only alloy grade shipment information for just any and all products of interest.
- In performing my query I have ended up with a lot of rows that are all “zero”, can I remove these records?
- Yes. SteelFacts includes a “zero suppression” function which is very useful for eliminating unnecessary rows from the analysis.
- Can I see the monthly values instead of just the annual values for the series I am looking at?
- Yes. Users typically set their view of the data to start with a series of annual values for product shipments. It is easy, however, to drill down into the data series to see quarterly or even monthly level detail over the entire history of the SteelFacts data base, or any sub-series that the user is interested in.
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