Steel Mills
Canadian Service Center Inventories Declining
Written by John Packard
April 17, 2016
The Metal Service Center Institute (MSCI) reported Canadian steel service centers inventories dropped 1.9 percent by the end of March compared to the end of February.
Shipments of steel (all products) were 392,200 tons and averaged 17,800 tons per day during the month of March. Total steel shipments were 11.3 percent lower than year ago levels.
Inventories stood at 1,188,200 tons which is 28.8 percent lower than year ago levels. The number of months on hand went from 3.1 months at the end of February to 3.0 months by the end of March 2016.
Carbon Flat Rolled
Canadian distributors shipped 230,900 tons of flat rolled steel during the month of March. The daily average shipment rate was 10,500 tons. Shipments were 10.3 percent lower than year ago levels.
Inventories of flat rolled stood at 718,300 tons at the end of March. This is 32.6 percent lower than the 1,065,900 tons being held on Canadian service centers at the end of March 2015. The number of months on hand stood at 3.1 at the end of March. This is slightly lower than the 3.2 months reported at the end of February. One year ago Canadian service centers where holding 4.1 months supply.
Plate
Canadian service centers shipped 67,500 tons of plate products at a 3,100 ton per day rate during the month of March. This represents 23.1 percent fewer tons shipped than one year ago.
Inventories of plate stood at 194,000 tons which is 36.9 percent few tons than one year ago. The number of months on hand stood at 2.9 months which is higher than the 2.6 months reported at the end of February.
Pipe and Tube
Shipments of pipe and tube products totaled 48,000 tons out of the Canadian distributors. This was 4.0 percent less than one year ago. Shipments averaged 2,200 tons per day.
Canadian distributors held 135,700 tons of pipe and tube inventories at the end of March. This is 6.1 percent lower than one year ago and represented 2.8 months supply, down from 3.1 months at the end of February.
John Packard
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