Open / Close Advertisement

2013 Off to a Slow Start for North American Service Centers

02/20/2013 - Service centers’ metal shipments decrease in January 2013 from last January’s levels at small, single digit rates in both the U.S. and Canada, the Metals Service Center Institute reports.

Service centers’ metal shipments decrease in January 2013 from last January’s levels at small, single digit rates in both the U.S. and Canada, the Metals Service Center Institute reports.
U.S. Service Center Activity
U.S. service centers shipped 3.6 million tons of steel products in January 2013. This represents a decrease of 2.1% from January 2012.
Steel product inventories were 8.7 million tons at the end of January 2013, a decrease of 0.4% over January a year ago and an increase of 2.2% from last month. At the current shipping rate, this represents 2.4 months of supply in inventory, an increase of 1.8% from a year ago.
In January, 126,100 tons of aluminum products were shipped by U.S. service centers, a decrease of 5.6% from the same month in 2012.
Inventories of aluminum products were 366,400 tons at the end of January 2013, a decrease of 2.1% over January a year ago and an increase of 0.2% from last month. At the current shipping rate, this represents 2.9 months of supply in inventory, an increase of 3.7% from a year ago.
Canadian Service Center Activity
Canadian service centers shipped 522,300 tons of steel products in January 2013. This represents a decrease of 6.9% from January 2012.
Steel product inventories were nearly 1.8 million tons at the end of January 2013, an increase of 5.7% from January a year ago and a decrease of 3.2% from last month. At the current shipping rate, this represents 3.4 months of supply in inventory, an increase of 13.5% from a year ago.
In January, 13,600 tons of aluminum products were shipped by Canadian service centers, a decrease of 3.0% from the same month in 2012.
Inventories of aluminum products were 40,700 tons at the end of January 2013, an increase of 19.2% from January a year ago and an increase of 5.0% from last month. At the current shipping rate, this represents 3.0 months of supply in inventory, an increase of 22.9% from a year ago.