November Steel, Aluminum Shipments Grow in U.S., Slow in Canada
By
Metal Center News Staff on
Dec 20, 2017Shipments of U.S. steel and aluminum products showed year-over-year gains in November, but Canadian shipments slowed significantly for the month, according to the latest Metals Activity Report from Rolling Meadows, Ill.-based Metals Service Center Institute.
U.S. service centers shipped 3.2 million tons of steel products in November, up 6.8 percent from the same month last year, but down 7.2 percent from October. Year-to-date shipments of 36.1 million tons were 3.9 percent higher than the total through 11 months last year.
Service center steel inventories totaled 7.6 million tons at the end of the month, a year-over-year increase of 7.9 percent, but down 1.3 percent from October. At November shipping rates, that represents 2.4 months of supply, which is equal to November 2016.
U.S. service centers shipped 132,000 tons of aluminum products during the month, a 12 percent increase from the year-ago period, but 8.5 percent lower than October. Through November, full-year shipments of 1.5 million tons were up 8.2 percent from last year.
U.S. service center inventories of aluminum products totaled 392,200 tons in November, an increase of 3.4 percent year over year, but down 3.6 percent from the previous month. At November shipping rates, that represents 3.0 months of supply, down from 3.2 months in the year-ago period.
Canadian service centers shipped 398,900 tons of steel products during the month, up just 0.2 percent from November 2016 and 1.8 percent from October. Year-to-date shipments increased 3.1 percent year over year to 4.3 million tons.
Service center steel inventories in Canada totaled 1.1 million tons at the end of the month, a 4.3 percent increase from last year, but 3.1 percent lower than the prior month. At November shipping rates, that represents 2.8 months of supply, up from 2.7 months last year.
Canadian service centers shipped 10,500 tons of aluminum products in November, down 4.2 percent from the same month last year and 0.9 percent from October. Year-to-date aluminum shipments were down 0.6 percent year over year to 114,200 tons.
Canadian inventories of aluminum products totaled 31,300 tons at the end of the month, up 1.3 percent from last November and 2 percent from October. At November shipping rates, that represented 3.0 months of supply, up from 2.8 months last November.