The carbon content in common steel ranges from 0.25 percent to 2 percent, while harder grades have a higher carbon content. Manufacturing methods such as annealing, quenching and cold working are used to further tailor the steel to specific needs.
Stainless steel is the most popular of the alloy steels.
According to preliminary data available from the American Iron and Steel Institute, Washington, shipments of steel mill products by U.S. mills were down 3.5 percent in 1998 compared with 1997. This was the first time in six years that shipments had fallen. U.S. Steel retained its position as the largest U.S. steelmaker with 10,686,000 tonnes produced in 1998, down 13.5 percent from the 12,350,000 tonnes it produced the previous year. Total U.S. imports of steel in 1998 reached a record 41,519,702 tonnes, up 33.3 percent from the 1997 total of 31,156,586 tonnes, which was the previous record. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. steel industry in 1998 consisted of approximately 92 companies that produced raw steel at 125 locations with combined raw steel production capability of 125 million tonnes.