Steel Mills

MSCI: Shipments Up 7 Percent in May

June 17, 2017

Service center shipments of all steel products totaled 3,420,300 tons for the month of May, up 7.0 percent over year-ago levels, reports the Metals Service Center Institute. MSCI released May shipping, inventories and month’s-on-hand (MOH) data for the United States on Thursday, June 15.

The daily shipment rate for May was 155,900 tons, which is lower than the 163,700 tons seen in April. However, May had 22 shipping days, compared to 19 for the month of April.

For the first five months of the year, total steel shipments were 16,665,200 tons, which is 4.0 percent above the same period last year.

Inventories finished the month at 7,242,300 tons, which is 4.5 percent below what was reported for May 2016.

On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, the number of months of inventories on hand were 2.1 as of the end of May. This is down from the 2.3 reported at the end of April. Last year the MOH was 2.4 at the end of May.

Carbon Flat Rolled

Shipments of flat rolled by domestic service centers was reported at 2,318,500 tons in May. This was 6.4 percent better than last year, which had one fewer shipping day.

The daily shipment rate was 105,400 tons, up from the previous year (103,800), but lower than April with 111,100 tons (and three fewer shipping days).

Shipments for the year now stand at 11,260,900 tons, which is 4.0 percent better than last year.

Inventories rose to 4,457,700 tons, 6.5 percent below last year’s levels. The number of months on hand stood at 1.9 on a non-seasonally adjusted basis.

Carbon Plate

Distributors in the United States shipped 312,900 tons of carbon plate during the month of May. This represents a 12.3 percent improvement over last year’s levels.

The daily shipment rate was 14,200 tons per day.

Total plate shipments year to date were 1,499,100 tons, which is 5.3 percent better than last year.

Plate inventories are now at 786,100 tons, up from the 745,400 tons reported at the end of April. Inventories of plate are 2.6 percent better than one year ago.

The MOH as of the end of May was 2.5 (non-seasonally adjusted), down from 2.7 percent.

Carbon Pipe & Tube

U.S. distributors shipped a total of 186,000 tons of pipe and tube products during the month of May. Shipments were off by 7.2 percent year on year.

For the first five months 2017, pipe and tube shipments totaled 960,800 tons, which is 5.6 percent below last year.

Inventories totaled 442,900 tons and were 20.2 percent below year-ago levels. According to MSCI figures, there was a large inventory adjustment made in May as the April number showed 490,600 tons.

The number of MOH was 2.4 on a non-seasonally adjusted basis.