Steel Markets

July Heating and Cooling Equipment Shipments Reach Record High
Written by Brett Linton
September 12, 2020
July heating and cooling equipment shipments totaled 2.11 million units, up 16.6 percent from the same month one year ago, according to recent data from the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). Recall that last month, we saw the highest monthly shipment level in SMU’s 12+ year limited history, surpassing the previous monthly high in July 2018 at 2.27 million units.
As a three-month moving average (3MMA), total heating and cooling shipments were up 1.9 percent year-over-year, following a 9.5 percent decline in June. This is the first month 3MMA shipments have increased on a year-over-year basis since last October.
Residential and commercial storage water heater shipments increased 22.6 percent year over year to a combined 810,184 units; 791,290 units were shipped for residential use and 18,894 units for commercial use.
Shipments of warm air furnaces totaled 290,776 units in July, an increase of 20.6 percent compared to the same month last year. This is the first month that warm air furnace shipments have increased on a year-over-year basis in one year.
Central air conditioners and air-source heat pump shipments were up 11.1 percent over levels one year ago to 1,010,414 total units; 675,373 air conditioners and 335,041 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. To use its interactive features, view the graph on our website by clicking here. For assistance with either logging in or navigating the website, contact info@SteelMarketUpdate.com.

Brett Linton
Read more from Brett LintonLatest in Steel Markets

USW cheers Evraz NA agreement with Atlas Holdings
The United Steelworkers (USW) labor union celebrated recent news of the signed agreement between Atlas Holdings and Evraz NA in which the Connecticut-based private equity company said it plans to acquire North America’s Evraz facilities.

Steel buyer spirits tempered by soft spot market conditions
Steel sheet buyers report feeling bogged down by the ongoing stresses of stagnant demand, news fatigue, tariff negotiations or implementation timelines, and persistent macroeconomic uncertainty.

Hot-rolled coil buyers continue seeking certainty
Steel market participants contend that buyers will remain in “wait-and-see" mode until some market stability is restored.

Latin American steel advocates warn on cheap import flood
Subsidized Chinese steel imports and cheap steel products from Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) entering Latin American (LATAM) are threatening the region's steel market.

CRU: Steel prices fall amid global demand weakness
The forceful headwinds bearing down on steel markets across the globe have created demand challenges and sent prices southward. The US, however, challenged the global trend.