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    Heating and Cooling Equipment Shipments Fall 8% Through October

    Written by Brett Linton


    US heating and cooling equipment shipments declined further in October, according to recently released data from the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). Total shipments in October were 1.79 million units, 8% less than September levels and down 13% compared with the same month last year. October represents the third-lowest shipment rate recorded in the last 18 months, just ~5,000 units above the lows seen in November 2021 and July 2022.

    Recall that shipment levels bounced around over the summer months; June saw the fifth-highest monthly shipment rate in SMU’s 14-year history. July shipments fell 20% month over month (MoM) to a then eight-month low, the largest monthly decline seen since late 2020. August saw a MoM increase of 12%.

    Brett Linton

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    SMU flat-rolled market survey results now available

    The results of the latest Steel Market Update (SMU) flat-rolled market survey are now available on our website to all premium members. After logging in, look under the Data tab for Market Reports, and there you will find the Flat-Rolled Survey Results section. Previous survey results are also available on that page. If you need help accessing these results, or if your company would like to have your voice heard in our future surveys, contact smu@crugroup.com.

    supply

    September service center shipments and inventories report

    US service centers’ flat-rolled steel supply increased marginally in September, gaining ground for only the second time all year. Shipping days of supply rose to 45.9 last month, according to SMU data. That figure marks a 3.7% increase from August. September’s result represents a modest gain after inventories hit a five-year low the previous month. But it’s nearly 16% below September 2025 levels. Sheet inventories have averaged ~45 shipping days of supply over the past six months. Flat-rolled inventories represented 2.18 months of supply in September, up 3.7% from August. However, the figure was 15.5% below September 2025. The month-on-month (m/m) gain in inventories resulted from a boost (+21.2%) in intake that was partially offset by a 5% increase in shipments.

    New York manufacturing activity reaches highest level since late 2021

    Manufacturing activity in New York State expanded sharply in October, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's latest Empire State Manufacturing Survey. New orders, shipments, and unfilled orders rose, while delivery times lengthened and supply availability deteriorated further. The survey’s headline general business conditions index rose 18 points from September to 25.5 in October, the highest reading since December 2021. The new orders index climbed 21 points to 23.2, while shipments increased 16 points to 13.1. Unfilled orders also rose, with the index up eight points to 14.0. The delivery-times index reached 19.8, indicating significantly longer lead times.