U.S. service centers shipped 40.7 million tons of steel in 2011, an increase of 14.2 percent over 2010, according to the latest data from the Metals Service Center Institute, Rolling Meadows, Ill.

U.S. service centers shipped 2.96 million tons of steel products in December 2011, an increase of 5.0 percent from December 2010. Steel product inventories totaled 8.35 million tons at the end of December, an increase of 8.3 percent over December a year ago. At the December shipping rate, this represented a 2.8-month supply.

U.S. service centers shipped 109,300 tons of aluminum products in December, an increase of 5.2 percent from the same month the previous year. For 2011, aluminum shipments totaled 1.5 million tons, an increase of 15.0 percent from 2010. Inventories of aluminum products totaled 356,900 tons at the end of December, an increase of 2.6 percent over December a year ago. At the December shipping rate, this represented a 3.3-month supply.

Canadian service centers shipped 419,500 tons of steel products in December, an increase of 10.2 percent from December 2010. For all of 2011, Canadian steel shipments totaled nearly 6.3 million tons, an increase of 11.0 percent from 2010. Steel product inventories in Canada totaled 1.5 million tons at the end of December, an increase of 8.1 percent from December a year ago. At the December shipping rate, that represented 3.6 months of supply.

Canadian service centers shipped 9,700 tons of aluminum products in December, an increase of 8.0 percent from the same month in 2010. For the year, aluminum shipments totaled 146,500 tons, an increase of 8.3 percent from 2010. Inventories of aluminum products at Canadian service centers totaled 34,200 tons at the end of December, an increase of 9.3 percent from December a year ago. At the December shipping rate, this represented 3.5 months of supply.