Open / Close Advertisement

August Service Center Shipments Slow in the U.S. and Canada

09/20/2012 - August 2012 shipments were slightly lower than in the same month in 2011 for steel and aluminum in the U.S. and for steel in Canada. Although Canadian aluminum shipments were higher than the prior year, the increase slowed significantly.

August 2012 shipments were slightly lower than in the same month in 2011 for steel and aluminum in the U.S. and for steel in Canada. Although Canadian aluminum shipments were higher than the prior year, the increase slowed significantly. Despite the slower shipments, inventory to shipment ratios improved as compared to July 2012 for both metals in both countries.
U.S. Service Center Activity
U.S. service centers shipped 3,653.1 thousand tons of steel products in the month of August, 2012. This represents a decrease of 1.0% from August, 2011. Year-to-date steel shipments were 29,031.2 thousand tons, an increase of 4.9% from the same period in 2011.
Steel product inventories were 8,953.9 thousand tons at the end of August, 2012, an increase of 5.8% over August a year ago and an increase of 0.2% from last month. At the current shipping rate, this represents 2.5 months supply in inventory, an increase of 6.9% from a year ago.
134.1 thousand tons of aluminum products were shipped by U.S. service centers in August, a decrease of 1.3% from the same month in 2011. Year-to-date aluminum shipments were 1,048.9 thousand tons, an increase of 3.1% from the same period in 2011.
Inventories of Aluminum products were 380.7 thousand tons at the end of August, 2012, an increase of 5.5% over August a year ago and a decrease of 1.8% from last month. At the current shipping rate, this represents 2.8 months supply in inventory, an increase of 7.0% from a year ago.
Canadian Service Center Activity
Canadian service centers shipped 513.4 thousand tons of steel products in the month of August, 2012. This represents a decrease of 5.1% from August, 2011. Year-to-date steel shipments were 4,287.7 thousand tons, an increase of 0.9% from the same period in 2011.
Steel product inventories were 1,621.7 thousand tons at the end of August, 2012, a decrease of 0.3% from August a year ago and a decrease of 0.8% from last month. At the current shipping rate, this represents 3.2 months supply in inventory, an increase of 5.1% from a year ago.
13.4 thousand tons of aluminum products were shipped by Canadian service centers in August, an increase of 5.4% from the same month in 2011. Year-to-date aluminum shipments were 109.2 thousand tons, an increase of 11.5% from the same period in 2011.
Inventories of Aluminum products were 39.2 thousand tons at the end of August, 2012, an increase of 14.4% from August a year ago and an increase of 0.5% from last month. At the current shipping rate, this represents 2.9 months supply in inventory, an increase of 8.6% from a year ago.
Founded in 1909, the Metals Service Center Institute, based in Rolling Meadows, Ill., has nearly 400 members operating from more than 1,500 locations in the U.S, Canada, Mexico and throughout the world. Together MSCI members constitute the largest single group of metals purchasers in North America, amounting each year to more than 55 million tons of steel, aluminum, and other metals, with about 300,000 manufacturers and fabricators as customers. MSCI’s membership also includes almost all ferrous and non-ferrous industrial metals producers in North America. Service centers inventory, process and distribute metals to manufacturing intermediaries and original equipment manufacturers.