U.S. steel shipments down 7.2 percent

The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported on Dec. 16 that for the month of October 2010, U.S. steel mills shipped 6,629,195 net tons, a 7.2-percent decrease from the 7,140,369 net tons shipped in the previous month, September 2010, and a 8.7 percent increase from the 6,097,348 net tons shipped in October 2009.

Shipments year-to-date in 2010 are 69,783,780, a 42.7 percent increase vs. 2009 shipments of 48,888,095 for 10 months.

2010 shipments through October would annualize at 83.7 million tons.

A month-to-month comparison of shipments shows the following changes: hot dipped galvanized sheet and strip, down 11 percent; hot rolled sheet, down 10 percent and cold rolled sheet, down 9 percent.