The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported Thursday that during the month of March 2007, US steel mills shipped 9,331,000 net tons, a 5.1 percent decrease from the 9,830,000 nt shipped in March 2006 and an 11.7 percent increase from the 8,350,000 nt shipped in the previous month, i.e. in February 2007.
A year-on-year comparison of year-to-date shipments shows the following changes within the major market classifications in March: service centers and distributors, down 8.4 percent; automotive, down 6.1 percent; construction and contractors' products, down 0.4 percent; and oil and gas, down 12.5 percent.
AISI is comprised of 32 member companies, including integrated and electric furnace steelmakers, and 130 associate and affiliate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry, representing 75 percent of US and North American steelmaking capacity.