U.S. Service Centers Improve Flat Rolled Inventories to 2.5 Months (SA)

U.S. service centers shipped 3,643,600 tons of steel products during the month of January, according to Metal Service Center Institute data released earlier today. Total shipments (all products) averaged 165,600 tons per day, down significantly from the 177,300 tons per day shipped during January 2012. Total tonnage shipped was down 2.1 percent on an actual basis but, when reviewed on a seasonally adjusted basis, the MSCI had it 6.9 percent lower than the prior year.

This is now the sixth consecutive month that year-over-year comparisons were less than the previous year (total tonnage shipped for the month vs. prior year).