Service Center Steel Shipments Decline in August > Metal Center News

Service Center Steel Shipments Decline in August

Sept. 19, 2012

Service Center Steel Shipments Decline in August

August shipments of steel and aluminum slowed in the United States compared to the same month in 2011, according to the latest Metals Activity Report from the Metals Service Center Institute, Rolling Meadows, Ill. For the third straight month, only Canadian aluminum shipments showed year-over-year gains.

Despite the slower shipments, inventory to shipment ratios improved compared to July 2012 for both metals in both countries.

U.S. service centers shipped 3.7 million tons of steel in the August, a decrease of 1.0 percent compared to the previous year. Year-to-date steel shipments totaled 29.0 million tons, an increase of 4.9 percent from 2011. Steel product inventories were 9.0 million tons at the end of August, an increase of 5.8 percent over the same month last year and an increase of 0.2 percent from July. At August shipping rates, this represented 2.5 months supply in inventory, an increase of 6.9 percent from a year ago.

U.S. distributors shipped 134,100 tons of aluminum products in August, a decrease of 1.3 percent from the same month in 2011. For the year to date, aluminum shipments totaled 1.0 million tons, an increase of 3.1 percent from last year. Inventories of aluminum products were 380,700 tons at the end of August, an increase of 5.5 percent over August 2011 but a decrease of 1.8 percent from the previous month. At August shipping rates, this represented 2.8 months supply in inventory, an increase of 7.0 percent from a year ago.

Canadian service centers shipped 513,400 tons of steel in August, a decrease of 5.1 percent from the same month last year. Year-to-date steel shipments were 4.3 million tons, an increase of 0.9 percent from the same period in 2011. Steel product inventories were 1.6 million tons at the end of August, a decrease of 0.3 percent from the same month last year but a decrease of 0.8 percent from July. At August shipping rates, this represented 3.2 months supply in inventory, an increase of 5.1 percent from a year ago.

Canadian distributors shipped 13,400 tons of aluminum in August, an increase of 5.4 percent from the same month in 2011. For the year to date, shipments totaled 109,200 tons, an increase of 11.5 percent from last year. Inventories of aluminum products were 39,200 tons at the end of August, an increase of 14.4 percent from last year and an increase of 0.5 percent from July. At August shipping rates, this represented 2.9 months supply in inventory, an increase of 8.6 percent from 2011.