Steel Mills

Canadian Service Center Shipments Up in February

Written by Brett Linton

March 20, 2018

Steel shipments by Canadian service centers in February totaled 383,300 net tons, down 6.5 percent from January’s high, but up 4.8 percent from February 2017, reports the Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI). On a daily basis, total shipments were 19,200 tons per day in February (a 20-day month), up from 18,600 tons per day in January (a 22-day month), and up compared to a year ago when they were 18,300 tons per day (a 20-day month). Total steel inventories at the end of the month were 1,148,800 tons, down 0.5 percent from last month, and down 1.9 percent from this time last year.

The daily average receipt rate for February was 18,905 tons per day, down from 19,532 in January. Total February steel receipts were 378,100 tons, down 51,600 tons over January. According to MSCI, total steel product inventories in Canada stood at 3.0 months at the end of February, up from 2.8 months in January.

Flat Rolled

Canadian shipments of flat rolled products in February totaled 197,900 tons, down 7.5 percent from last month, but up 3.4 percent over levels one year ago. Daily shipments increased from 9,700 tons per day in January to 9,900 in February, and are up compared to one year ago when they were 9,600 tons per day. Inventories at the end of the month were 657,800 tons, up 0.7 percent from last month, but down 11.6 percent from the same month one year ago. The daily receipt rate for February fell slightly to 10,130 tons per day, down from 10,682 tons per day in January. Total tonnage received was 202,600 tons, down from 235,000 tons the month before. Flat rolled inventories stood at 3.3 months in February, up from 3.1 months of supply in January.

Plate

Canadian shipments of plate products in February were 77,900 tons, a decrease of 0.9 percent from the previous month, but an increase of 8.7 percent from February 2017. Daily shipments increased from 3,600 tons per day in January to 3,900 tons per day in February. Inventories at the end of February were 173,500 tons, down 5.1 percent from the prior month, and down 0.2 percent from the same month one year ago. The daily average receipt rate for February was 3,430 tons per day, down from 3,891 tons per day the month before. Plate inventories ended the month at 2.2 months, down from 2.3 months in January.

Pipe and Tube

Canadian shipments of pipe and tube products in February were 51,700 tons, a decrease of 9.3 percent from January, but an increase of 3.7 percent from the same month last year. Daily shipments remained steady at 2,600 tons per day. Inventories at the end of the month were 138,700 tons, down 3.8 percent from last month, but up 27.5 percent from the same month one year ago. The daily average receipt rate for February was 2,310 tons per day, up from 2,205 tons per day the month before. Total months on hand for pipe and tube inventories stood at 2.7 months, up from 2.5 months in January.

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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