Steel Products
AHRI: Shipments Gain Momentum in May
Written by Becca Moczygemba
July 18, 2023
US heating and cooling equipment shipments recovered in May, according to the most recent data released from the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI).
The total amount of units shipped for the month of May was 1.98 million, compared to 1.74 million units in April. Shipments were up 13% month-over-month (MoM), but down 6% year-over-year (YoY).
On a 12-month moving average (12MMA) basis, shipments were down to 1.85 million units per month compared to 2.03 million units in May 2022.

As shown in the chart below, the annual rate of change in heating and cooling shipments on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis has been trending downward since mid-2022.

Residential and commercial water heater shipments increased 10% YoY to a combined 814,889 units in May, increasing from 778,146 units in April.

May shipments of warm air furnaces totaled 249,477 units, showing no change compared to April, but down 23% from a year earlier.
Central air conditioners and air-source heat pump shipments were up 28% MoM but down 11% YoY. Units shipped in May totaled 908,050. When broken down by product, 527,908 air conditioners and 380,142 heat pumps were shipped.

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 Steel Products

OCTG producers in Canada take aim at Mexico, US, others
Evraz NA and Welded Tube of Canada have lodged an unfair trade complaint against imports of OCTG, including those from USMCA trading partners Mexico and the US.

Final Thoughts
The difference: The spat with Turkey was a big deal for steel. This time, the 50% reciprocal tariff for Brazil – if it goes into effect as threatened on Aug.1 – hits everything from coffee and to pig iron. It seems almost custom-built to inflict as much pain as possible on Brazil.

CRU: US rebar and wire rod prices rise alongside S232 increase
CRU Senior Steel Analyst Alexandra Anderson discusses current market and pricing dynamics for long steel products in the US.
CRU: Excessive global supply could hit rebar mill investments in US
Following the onset of the war in Ukraine in March 2022, concerns about import availability and expectations of rising demand from President Biden’s Infrastructure Bill pushed US rebar prices to record highs. In response, a flurry of new mills and capacity expansions were announced to meet the rise in demand from growth in the construction […]

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.