Prices
AHRI Shipments Increased in December
Written by Becca Moczygemba
February 12, 2023
US heating and cooling equipment shipments increased in December, according to recently released data from the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI).
Total shipments in December were 1.677 million units, consistent with shipments in November but down 9% compared with the same month last year. November and December now represent the lowest shipment rates recorded in the last two years, only slightly higher than the 1.66-million-unit rate in November 2020.
The highest shipment levels of 2022 were recorded in March, and they remained elevated through June. Typically, the months from March to June are peak season for heating and cooling equipment shipments. But 2020 and 2021 did not align with this pattern due to the pandemic.
The average monthly shipment rate for 2022 was 1.934 million units, down from an average of 2.028 million units in 2021. Shipments averaged 1.848 million units per month in 2020.
On a 12-month moving average (12MMA) basis, shipments were lower at 1.999 million units per month versus 2.028 million units in 2021.
As shown in the chart below, total heating and cooling shipments on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis through December were down 9% compared with the same period last year.
The year-over-year (YoY) growth rate in 2022 was in the red ten out of 12 months, with July falling the most at -15%.
Residential and commercial storage water heater shipments decreased 9% YoY to a combined 809,172 units in December, when 791,025 units were shipped for residential use and 18,147 units for commercial use. Water heater shipments were up 17% MoM.
December shipments of warm air furnaces totaled 252,010 units, a decrease of 23% compared with the same month in 2021.
Central air conditioners and air-source heat pump shipments were down 2% vs. one year ago, totaling 697,000 total units in December; 319,194 air conditioners and 297,007 heat pumps were shipped. AC and heat pump shipments were down 12% compared with levels one month prior.
Year-to-date (YTD) shipments through December 2022 totaled 23.2 million units, down 5% compared to 2021 when shipments totaled 24.3 million units.
As seen in the chart below, 2022 YTD shipments for water heaters totaled 8.9 million units, 12% below the same period of 2021. Warm air furnace shipments totaled 3.9 million units YTD, down 4% YoY. Air conditioner shipments totaled 10.39 million units in 2022, up 2% from the same period in 2021.
The full press release from which this data comes from is available on the AHRI website.
An interactive history of heating and cooling equipment shipment data is available on our website. If you need assistance logging in to or navigating the website, please contact us at info@steelmarketupdate.com.
By Becca Moczygemba, becca@steelmarketupdate.com
Becca Moczygemba
Read more from Becca MoczygembaLatest in Prices
SMU Survey: Mills less negotiable on spot prices
Most steel buyers responding to our market survey this week reported that domestic mills are considerably less willing to talk price on sheet and plate products than they were in recent weeks.
Price gap between US HRC, most imports narrows slightly
In dollar-per-ton terms, US product is on average $141/st less than landed import prices (inclusive of the 50% tariff). That’s down from $148/st last week.
SMU price ranges: Sheet ticks higher, plate stable
Sheet steel indices increased across the board this week, while plate prices held steady. All five of SMU’s price indices are higher than they were two weeks ago, and all but one are above levels recorded four weeks ago.
Nucor lifts HR spot price by $10/ton
Nucor has raised its weekly spot list price on hot-rolled coil by $10 per short ton (st) after keeping it unchanged since Aug. 25.
Atlas Tube up $50/ton following NLMK USA sheet price hike
Atlas Tube, in a leading move, said it aims to increase prices for mechanical tubing, hollow structural sections (HSS), and piling products by at least $50 per short ton (st).