NEWS

<p style="text-align:center;"> <img src="/membcentre/editor/attached/image/20180322/20180322090937_91996.jpg" alt="" /> </p> <p> Total monthly shipment volumes for service center steel and aluminum products declined from January to February across the U.S. and Canada, but the year-over-year totals showed growth, and year-to-date totals increased for steel product shipments. Inventory levels decreased very slightly for steel products. </p> <p> <br /> </p> <p> Declines from the January totals may be partly attributable to fewer business hours during February. </p> <p> <br /> </p> <p> Related: Service Centers’ Steel, Aluminum Shipments Rose in January </p> <p> <br /> </p> <p> These results were reported by the Metals Service Center Institute in its latest Metals Activity Report, which documents service-center steel and aluminum shipment and inventory totals, as reported by its member companies. Service center metal products represent a substantial volume of the metals consumed by machine shops, fabricators, and other manufacturers. </p> <p> <br /> </p> <p> U.S. service centers shipped 3.29 million tons of steel products during February 2018, 5.6% less than the January total but 5.2% more than the February 2017 total. The February daily shipping rate was 6,000 tons higher than during January, at 164,400 tons/day. Through two months of activity, U.S. service centers have shipped 6.77 million tons of steel products, 4.7% higher than the January-February 2017 shipment total. </p> <p> <br /> </p> <p> Related: Commerce Dept. Wants Stiff Restrictions on Foreign Steel, Aluminum </p> <p> <br /> </p> <p> Steel-product inventories increased only slightly (0.08%) from January to 7.74 million tons at U.S. service centers, but declined 5.4% from February 2017 levels. At their current shipping rate, MSCI estimated that U.S. service centers are holding a 2.4-month supply of steel products. </p> <p> <br /> </p> <p> Canadian service centers shipped 383,300 tons of steel products during February, 6.5% less than during January but 4.8% more than during February 2017. The daily shipping rate rose by 600 tons from January to 19,200 tons/day during February, and the year-to-date shipments rose to 793,400 tons, 2.1% higher than the comparable two-month total for 2017. </p> <p> <br /> </p> <p> Inventories of steel products at Canadian centers declined 0.4% from January to 1.15 million tons, 1.9% less than the February 2017 inventory total. MSCI estimated that Canadian service centers are holding a 3.0-month supply steel products, at their current shipping rate. </p> <p> <br /> </p> <p> Aluminum products shipments from U.S. service centers total 142,200 tons during February, 5.3% less than during January but 11.6% higher than during February 2017. The daily shipping rate rose by 300 tons from January to 7,100 tons/day. The two-month total for aluminum products shipments rose to 292,300 tons through February, which is 12.2% higher than the January-February 2017 total. </p> <p> <br /> </p> <p> U.S. centers’ aluminum products inventories rose 1.15% from January to 412,600 tons for February, which is 6.5% higher than the February 2017 inventory level. At their current shipping rate, U.S. service centers are estimated to be holding a 2.9-month inventory of aluminum products. </p> <p> <br /> </p> <p> Canadian service centers shipped 9,300 tons of aluminum products during February, 12.3% less than during January and 0.6% more than during February 2017. The daily shipping rate remained unchanged from January, 500 tons/day. The year-to-date shipments nearly doubled from January, now standing at 20,000 tons. That figure is 0.7% less than the cumulative total at the same time in 2017. </p> <p> <br /> </p> <p> Inventories of aluminum products at Canadian service centers remained unchanged from January, 31,700 tons. That figure is 0.2% higher than the inventory total for February 2017. At the current shipping rate, Canadian service centers are estimated to be holding a 3.4-month supply of aluminum products. </p>