The Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI) reported Wednesday that service center steel shipments in June 2013 decreased by 4.7 percent from June 2012. Steel product inventories decreased 1 percent from last month. At the current shipping rate, this represents a decrease of 7.6 percent in months of inventory-on-hand from a year ago. In particular, flat rolled inventories fell 2.3 percent in June, while plate inventories rose 3.9 percent. Year-on-year, flat rolled shipments rose 2.6 percent, while bar shipments falling 6.7 percent, plate shipments dropping 6.4 percent and beam shipments declining by 0.8 percent.
Canadian service centers shipments of steel products in June 2013 decreased by 14.6 percent from June 2012. Steel product inventories decreased 7.4 percent from June a year ago. At the current shipping rate, this represents an increase of 8.5 percent from a year ago in months of inventory on hand.