Red Metals Shipments Down from August 2010
Warehouse shipments of red metals in August were down 9.3 percent from 2010, but up 4.2 percent over July, according to the latest data from the Copper and Brass Servicenter Association, Overland Park, Kansas. Distributors shipped 21.7 million pounds in August compared to 23.9 million the previous year and only 20.9 million in July.
Total alloy shipments in August were 12.0 million pounds, down 14.1 percent from last year, but 6.4 percent better than July.
For the year to date through August, total warehouse shipments of 180.1 million pounds were up 0.2 percent compared to the first eight months of 2010. In contrast, the 101.5 million pounds of alloy shipments were off 4.6 percent from the same period last year.
Among products, 200 series plate saw the biggest gain against 2010, with shipments up 123.9 percent. Alloy pipe was up 33.0 percent vs. 2010, while copper plate enjoyed a 22.0 percent gain from last year.
The biggest declines vs. 2010 were in shipments of 200 series brass sheet and other alloy sheet, both down a little more than 15 percent.
Editor's Note: This corrects an earlier, inaccurate release of the CBSA data.