Steel Mills

Canadian Service Centers Daily Shipping Rate Drops

November 19, 2013

Canadian service centers saw their daily shipping rate (all products) fall from 23,800 tons per day in September to 22,100 tons per day in October. The distributors shipped a total of 486,800 tons of steel during October according to the MSCI. This represents a 1.2 percent improvement over October 2012.

The number of shipping days in Canada was 22 not 23. They had the same number of shipping days the prior year.

At the end of the month Canadian distributors held 1,245,700 tons of steel products. This is down from the 1,297,700 tons held at the end of September and is 24.6 percent below the bloated inventories held at the end of October 2012.

The months of inventory on hand now stand at 2.3 months (unadjusted) down from 2.7 months and 2.6 months (SA) down from 2.7 months at the end of September.

Receipts (all products) were 479,000 tons during October, up from the 383,800 tons received during September 2013.

Flat Rolled

Canadian distributors shipped an average of 11,200 tons per day of flat rolled products. This is down from the 12,000 tons per day shipped the prior month. Total flat rolled shipments came to 247,100 tons up 5.8 percent above October 2012 levels.

Flat rolled inventories stood at 652,800 tons at the end of the month which represents a 30.6 percent improvement over the 940,300 tons held at the end of October 2012. The number of months supply on hand equaled 2.4 months (unadjusted) down from 2.9 months and 2.6 months (SA) down from 2.9 months.

Total flat rolled receipts were 231,900 tons in October. This is much higher than the 170,500 tons received by the Canadian service centers during the month of September. Last October they received 309,000 tons. The daily receipt rate in October was 10,506 tons.

Plate

Canadian service centers shipped an average of 4,500 tons of plate on a daily basis during the month of October. Total plate shipments were 99,200 tons down 9.5 percent year over year.

Inventories dropped from 237,700 tons at the end of September to 226,000 tons at the end of October. The number of months supply on hand stood at 2.3 months (unadjusted) down from 2.6 months and 2.5 months (SA) down from 2.6 months.

Total plate receipts were 87,500 tons up from the 74,000 tons received in September.

Pipe & Tube

Pipe and tube shipments totaled 55,300 tons during the month of October. This is 2.7 percent better than the previous year. The daily shipping rate was 2,500 tons per day down from 2,700 tons per day during the month of September.

Inventories stood at 129,600 tons which is 5.7 percent lower than at the end of October 2012. The number of months on hand stood at 2.1 (unadjusted) down from 2.4 and 2.3 (SA) which is the same as the prior month.

Total pipe and tube receipts were 65,000 tons in October, up from 49,400 tons received during the month of September.