Service Center Shipments Well Ahead of Last Year
Service center shipments in September remained above 2010 levels for steel and aluminum products in both the United States and Canada, according to the latest data from the Metals Service Center Institute, Rolling Meadows, Ill. Inventory positions remained near August levels in both product categories.
U.S. service centers shipped 3.4 million tons of steel products in September, an increase of 7.4 percent from the same month in 2010. Year-to-date steel shipments totaled 31.1 million tons, an increase of 15.9 percent from 2010.
Steel product inventories totaled 8.5 million tons at the end of September, an increase of 12.9 percent over September a year ago and an increase of 0.5 percent from August. This represented 2.5 months supply, an increase of 5.1 percent from a year ago.
U.S. service centers shipped 126,200 tons of aluminum products in September, an increase of 6.6 percent from the same month in 2010. For the year to date, aluminum shipments totaled 1.1 million tons, an increase of 16.8 percent from 2010.
Inventories of aluminum products totaled 353,500 tons at the end of September, an increase of 7.9 percent over September a year ago and a decrease of 2.0 percent from August. This represented 2.8 months supply in inventory, an increase of 1.1 percent from a year ago.
Canadian service centers shipped 556,900 tons of steel products in September, an increase of 10.1 percent from the previous year. For the year to date, steel shipments were 4.8 million tons, an increase of 12.0 percent from the same period in 2010. Steel product inventories were 1.5 million tons at the end of September, an increase of 18.9 percent from September a year ago and a decrease of 3.9 percent from August. This represented 2.8 months supply in inventory, an increase of 7.9 percent from a year ago.
Canadian service centers shipped 13,300 tons of aluminum products in September, an increase of 8.8 percent from the same month in 2010. Year-to-date shipments totaled 111,200 tons, up 9.1 percent from 2010. Inventories were 34,900 tons in September, an increase of 11.2 percent from the same month last year and up 1.9 percent from August. This represented 2.6 months supply, an increase of 2.2 percent from last year.