U.S. Service Center Steel Shipments Up 20 Percent for the Year
September steel shipments from U.S.-based service centers totaled 3.17 million tons, up 23.9 percent from the same month last year. For the first nine months of the year, total U.S. steel shipments of 26.8 million tons were 19.8 percent above those for the 2009 period. Steel product inventories at the end of September of 7.53 million tons were 30 percent above last year’s stockpiles and represented a 2.4-month supply, according to the latest Metals Activity Report from the Metals Service Center Institute, Rolling Meadows, Ill.
In Canada, metals centers shipped 505,600 tons of steel in September, up 11.1 percent from the same month last year. Shipments for the first nine months of the year of 4.29 million tons were 15.0 percent above those for the 2009 period. Month-end Canadian steel inventories of 1.32 million tons were 37.4 percent above stocks at the end of September 2009 and equal to a 2.6 month supply.
September shipments of aluminum products from U.S.-based service centers totaled 118,400 tons or 36.9 percent more than shipments of a year ago. Aluminum shipments for the first nine months of the year of 978,800 tons were 24.4 percent higher than those of the 2009 period. Stocks of aluminum products at the end of September of 327,800 tons were 28.7 percent above last year’s inventories and equal to a 2.8-month supply.
Canadian service centers shipped 12,200 tons of aluminum products during September, or 9.5 percent more than a year ago. For the first nine months of the year, Canadian aluminum shipments rose 6.0 percent to 102,000. Aluminum inventories totaled 31,400 tons at the end of September, 9.2 percent more than a year ago and equal to a 2.6-month supply.