Steel Markets

Heating and Cooling Equipment Shipments Down in June
Written by Brett Linton
August 9, 2019
June heating and cooling equipment shipments came in at just over 2.1 million units for the month, down 5.8 percent over the same month one year ago, according to data recently released by the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). This is the third consecutive month that total monthly equipment shipments have declined on a year-over-year basis since September 2018.
Residential and commercial storage water heater shipments fell 12.7 percent year over year to a combined 706,040 units; 685,048 units were shipped for residential use and 20,992 units for commercial use. Water heater shipments have declined for the past five consecutive months on a year-over-year basis.
Shipments of warm air furnaces totaled 356,268 units in June, up 5.7 percent compared to the same month last year. Warm air furnace shipments have increase on a year-over-year basis for five consecutive months.
Central air conditioners and air-source heat pump shipments fell 4.3 percent over a year ago to 1,071,932 total units; 716,424 air conditioners and 355,508 heat pumps were shipped.
The full press release is available on the AHRI website here.
Below is a graph showing the history of total water heater, warm air furnace and air conditioner shipments. You will need to view the graph on our website to use it’s interactive features; you can do so by clicking here. If you need assistance with either logging in or navigating the website, contact info@SteelMarketUpdate.com.

Brett Linton
Read more from Brett LintonLatest in Steel Markets

Hot-rolled price hikes garner mixed reactions from the market
Several steel market sources say they were blindsided when mills increased spot prices for hot-rolled coils this week.

Steel market participants mull the impact of US/Mexico S232 negotiations
Steel market participants learned that negotiations between the US and Mexico include discussions about Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum despite President Trump’s June 3 proclamation increasing the tariffs from 25% to 50% for all steel and aluminum imports—except for those from the UK.

ArcelorMittal plans wire-drawing closure in Hamilton, shifts production to Montreal
ArcelorMittal’s (AM) Hamilton location to be shuttered, wire production shifting to Montreal.

Tariffs, ample domestic supply cause importers to shift or cancel HR import orders
Subdued demand is causing importers to cancel hot-rolled (HR) coil orders and renegotiate the terms of shipments currently enroute to the US, importers say. An executive for a large overseas mill said customers might find it difficult to justify making imports buys after US President Donald Trump doubled the 25% Section 232 tariff on imported steel […]

CRU Insight: A 50% S232 tariff will raise US steel prices and shift trade flows
This CRU Insight examines how the increase in Section 232 tariffs on steel to challenging levels will lead to significatively higher prices for end consumers in the US market.