Steel Mills

MSCI: February Shipments Up from Last Year in U.S.

March 20, 2018

February service center shipments of carbon flat roll, plate, and pipe and tube were all up compared with the same month last year, but down compared with the prior month, according to the Metals Service Center Institute’s February Metals Activity Report. It’s a common seasonal pattern for shipments to start the year strong in January and ease a bit in February.

U.S. service centers shipped 3.289 million tons of steel products in February, an increase of 4.7 percent over February 2017, but a decrease of 5.6 percent from January. U.S. service center inventories at the end of February totaled 7.740 million tons or 2.4 months on hand. That’s a 5.4 percent increase from the 7.342 million tons in inventory, and up slightly from 2.3 months on hand, in February last year. Tons shipped per day in February totaled 164,400, up from 158,400 in January and 156,300 in February 2017.

Carbon Flat Rolled

Looking at shipments by product category, U.S. service centers shipped 2.191 million tons of carbon flat roll in February, a 4.2 percent increase over February 2017. Flat roll shipments dipped by 5.2 percent compared with the prior month.

Tons shipped per day in February averaged 109,600, with 20 shipping days in the month, up from 105,100 in February last year, also with 20 shipping days.

Service centers’ flat rolled inventory on hand at the end of February totaled 4.929 million tons, or 2.2 months on hand, up 6.8 percent from February 2017.

Carbon Plate

U.S. service centers shipped 325,500 tons of carbon plate in February, a 12.5 percent increase over the 289,300 tons in February last year. February shipments of carbon plate decreased by 6.1 percent from the prior month. Tons shipped per day in February, with 20 shipping days, averaged 16,300, up from 15,800 tons in 22 shipping days in January.

Plate inventory on hand at the end of February totaled 800,700 tons, or 2.5 months of supply, 8.6 percent more than the 737,000 tons, and 2.5 months of supply, at the end of February 2017.

Pipe and Tube

U.S. service centers shipped 187,200 tons of pipe and tube products in February, a 0.3 percent increase from the 186,600 tons the prior year. February shipments of pipe and tube decreased by 4.3 percent from the prior month. Tons shipped per day in February averaged 9,400 with 20 shipping days versus 9,300 last February also with 20 shipping days.

Pipe and tube inventory on hand at the end of February totaled 468,100 tons or 2.5 months of supply. That’s 4.0 percent less than the 487,400 tons or 2.6 months of supply at the end of February 2017.