Steel Mills

Canadian Service Center Shipments and Inventories in December

Written by Brett Linton

January 18, 2018

Steel shipments by Canadian service centers in December totaled 280,100 net tons, down 29.8 percent from the previous month, and down 3.4 percent from December 2016, reports the Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI). On a daily basis, total shipments were 14,700 tons per day in December (a 20-day month), down from 19,000 tons per day in November (a 21-day month), but up compared to a year ago when they were 14,500 tons per day (a 20-day month). Total steel inventories at the end of the month were 1,134,400 tons, unchanged from last month, but down 3.1 percent from this time last year.

The daily average receipt rate for December was 14,737 tons per day, down from 17,286 in November. Total December steel receipts were 280,000 tons, down 83,000 tons over November. According to MSCI, total steel product inventories in Canada stood at 4.0 months at the end of December, up from 2.8 months the month before.

Flat Rolled

Canadian shipments of flat rolled products in December totaled 147,400 tons, down 29.2 percent from November, and down 4.8 percent over the same month one year ago. Daily shipments decreased from 9,900 tons per day in November to 7,800 in December, and were also down compared to one year ago when they were 7,700 tons per day. Inventories at the end of the month were 632,000 tons, down 0.3 percent from last month, and down 12.8 percent from the same month one year ago. The daily receipt rate for December was 7,642 tons per day, down from 8,595 tons per day in November. Total tonnage received was 145,200 tons, down from 180,500 tons the month before. Flat rolled inventories stood at 4.3 months in December, up from 3.0 months of supply in November.

Plate

Canadian shipments of plate products in December were 48,900 tons, a decrease of 35.7 percent from the previous month, and a decrease of 12.1 percent from December 2016. Daily shipments decreased from 3,600 tons per day in November to 2,600 tons per day in December. Inventories at the end of December were 175,800 tons, up 3.0 percent from the prior month, but down 2.0 percent from the same month one year ago. The daily average receipt rate for December was 2,842 tons per day, down from 3,400 tons per day the month before. Plate inventories ended the month at 3.6 months, up from 2.2 months in November.

Pipe and Tube

Canadian shipments of pipe and tube products in December were 41,500 tons, a decrease of 23.1 percent from the month before, but an increase of 11.2 percent from the same month last year. Daily shipments declined from 2,600 tons in November to 2,200 tons per day in December. Inventories at the end of the month were 152,700 tons, up 3.6 percent from last month, and up 28.3 percent from the same month one year ago. The daily average receipt rate for December was 2,463 tons per day, down from 2,814 tons per day the month before. Total months on hand for pipe and tube inventories stood at 3.7 months, up from 2.7 months in November.

Brett Linton

Brett Linton is a senior analyst for Steel Market Update, where he began his career. Linton has been in the steel industry since 2010. He has held roles as a category manager and strategic insights director at Reibus before returning to SMU in 2024. He is a graduate of The University of North Georgia with a degree in Finance and Accounting. Brett can be reached at brett@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-314-0179.

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