U.S. Steel, Aluminum Shipments Flat in July > Metal Center News

U.S. Steel, Aluminum Shipments Flat in July

Aug. 23, 2012

U.S. Steel, Aluminum Shipments Flat in July

Steel and aluminum shipments from U.S. and Canadian service centers were mostly flat in July, according to the latest Metals Activity Report from the Metals Service Center Institute, Rolling Meadows, Ill. Only Canadian aluminum shipments bucked the trend with increases during the month.

U.S. service centers shipped 3.3 million tons of steel products in July, an increase of 5.4 percent from the same month in 2011. For the year to date, shipments totaled 25.4 million tons, up 5.8 percent from the first seven months of last year. Steel product inventories totaled 8.9 million tons at the end of July, an increase of 6.2 percent over the previous year but down 1.0 percent from June. At July shipping rates, this represented 2.7 months supply, an increase of 0.8 percent from a year ago.

U.S. service centers shipped 121,700 tons of aluminum products in July, an increase of 6.3 percent from the same month in 2011. For the year to date, aluminum shipments totaled 914,700 tons, up 3.8 percent from last year. Inventories of aluminum products were 387,600 tons at the end of the month, an increase of 9.4 percent over July 2011, and up 2.8 percent from June. At July shipping rates, this represented 3.2 months supply, an increase of 5.7 percent from the previous year.

Canadian service centers shipped 471,000 tons of steel products in July, an increase of 0.5 percent from the previous year. Year-to-date shipments totaled 3.8 million tons, up 1.8 percent from the first seven months of 2011. Steel product inventories totaled 1.6 million tons at the end of July, an increase of 0.9 percent from last year and up 2.0 percent from the previous month. At July shipping rates, this represented 3.5 months supply, an increase of 0.4 percent from a year ago.

Canadian distributors shipped 12,500 tons of aluminum products in July, an increase of 15.9 percent from the same month last year. For the year to date, aluminum shipments were 95,800 tons, an increase of 12.4 percent from the same period in 2011. Inventories of aluminum products totaled 39,000 tons at the end of July, an increase of 18.2 percent from 2011 and an increase of 6.1 percent from the previous month. At July shipping rates, this represented 3.1 months supply, an increase of 2.0 percent from a year ago.