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Shipments of U.S. and Canadian steel and aluminum products were mostly flat in September, with only U.S. aluminum shipments increasing slightly during the month, according to the latest Metals Activity Report from Rolling Meadows, Ill.-based Metals Service Center Institute.

U.S. service centers shipped 3.0 million tons of steel products in September, roughly equal to the same month last year, but down 12.3 percent from August. Year-to-date shipments of 29.6 million tons are up 2.8 percent from 2016.

Service center steel inventories totaled 7.8 million tons at the end of the month, an increase of 2.4 percent over 2016 and 1.2 percent over August. At September shipping rates, that represents 2.6 months of supply, down from 2.5 months at the same time last year.

U.S. service centers shipped 131,200 tons of aluminum products during the month, up 3.5 percent year over year, but down 14.2 percent from August. Full-year shipments of 1.2 million tons were up 6.9 percent from last year.

U.S. service center inventories of aluminum products totaled 401,900 tons in September, an increase of 2.3 percent from last year and 1.3 percent from the previous month. At September shipping rates, that represents 3.1 months of supply, which is equal to September 2016.

Canadian service centers shipped 356,600 tons of steel products during the month, a decrease of 3.8 percent from September 2016 and 7.9 percent from August. Year-to-date shipments increased 2.7 percent to 3.5 million tons.

Service center steel inventories in Canada totaled 1.2 million tons at the end of the month, up 4.2 percent over the year-ago period, but down 1.7 percent from the month prior. At September shipping rates, that represents 3.3 months of supply, up from 3.0 months at the same time last year.

Canadian service centers shipped 10,300 tons of aluminum products in September, down 5.5 percent from a year ago and 2.8 percent from August. Year-to-date aluminum shipments decreased 0.9 percent year over year to 93,100 tons.

Canadian inventories of aluminum products totaled 30,500 tons at the end of September, up 0.6 percent over September 2016, but down 1.9 percent from August. At September shipping rates, that represented 3.0 months of supply, up from 2.8 months in September 2016.