Service Center Intake, Shipments and Inventory in February 2014

Total service center carbon steel shipments in February declined by 225,000 tons but this was because shipping days declined by two to twenty. Tons per day (t / d) shipments rose from 158,500 tons in January to 161,600 in February. Intake was 162,820 t / d leading to a monthly surplus of 24,400 tons and an inventory increase of the same amount. Months on hand rose from 2.32 to 2.51.

Table 1 shows the performance by product in the period December through February compared to the same period in previous years. Shipments of all products on a t / d basis were down compared to two years ago but compared to one year ago sheet and plate improved. Long products (bar and structurals) and pipe and tube all declined year over year. Intake did not necessarily follow the same pattern as shipments. Only structurals had a t / d decrease in intake in three months through February.