The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported Monday that shipments from US steel mills in May 2008 were down 4.2 percent from April shipments, and down 0.8 percent from May 2007 shipments.
Shipments in May 2008 totaled 9,008,000 net tons, AISI reported. Year-to-date shipments at the end of May showed the following changes within major market classifications from the same period of the previous year: service centers and distributors, up 4.3 percent; automotive, down 4.1 percent; construction and contractors' products, down 2.7 percent; and oil and gas, up 5.6 percent.
AISI is comprised of 28 member companies, representing approximately 75 percent of both US and North American steel capacity.