April service center shipments of aluminum and steel were up slightly in both the U.S. and Canada, an improvement from the year-over-year declines seen in March, according to the latest report from the Metals Service Center Institute.
According to the report, U.S. Service Centers shipped 3,553.5 thousand tons of steel products in April 2012, representing an increase of 6.3% from April 2011. Year-to-date steel shipments were 14,735.8 thousand tons, an increase of 6.9% from the same period in 2011. Steel product inventories were 9,144.3 thousand tons at the end of April 2012, an increase of 11.9% over April a year ago and an increase of 3.1% from last month. At the current shipping rate, this represents 2.6 months’ supply in inventory, an increase of 5.3% from a year.
April shipments of aluminum products by U.S. Service Centers totaled 129.0 thousand tons, an increase of 2.5% from the same month in 2011. Year-to-date aluminum shipments were 528.1 thousand tons, an increase of 5.2% from the same period in 2011. Inventories of aluminum products were 376.9 thousand tons at the end of April 2012, an increase of 4.1% over April a year ago and an increase of 0.8% from last month. At the current shipping rate, this represents 2.9 months’ supply in inventory, an increase of 1.5% from a year ago.
Canadian Service Centers shipped 521.2 thousand tons of steel products in April 2012, representing an increase of 1.3% from April 2011. Year-to-date steel shipments were 2,199.0 thousand tons, an increase of 1.1% from the same period in 2011. Steel product inventories were 1,697.0 thousand tons at the end of April 2012, an increase of 11.2% from a year ago and a decrease of 0.9% from last month. At the current shipping rate, this represents 3.3 months’ supply in inventory, an increase of 9.8% from a year ago.
April shipments of aluminum products by Canadian Service Centers totaled 13.4 thousand tons, an increase of 11.4% from the same month in 2011. Year-to-date aluminum shipments were 55.2 thousand tons, an increase of 13.5% from the same period in 2011. Inventories of aluminum products were 35.3 thousand tons at the end of April 2012, an increase of 17.2% from a year ago and a decrease of 0.1% from last month. At the current shipping rate, this represents 2.6 months’ supply in inventory, an increase of 5.2% 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 nonferrous industrial metals producers in North America.