The Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI) reported Wednesday that US metals service center steel shipments for 2010 rose 20.6 percent above those of 2009 to nearly 35.7 million nt, while in Canada, steel shipments rose 15.3 percent to about 5.67 million nt.
Shipments of steel products from US metal service centers rose 25.6 percent in December 2010 to about 2.82 million nt, and inventories at the end of December of 7.71 million nt were 25.6 percent above those of year ago and, at current shipping rates, represented a 2.7-month supply.
Canadian metals service centers shipped 380,800 nt of steel products during December, or 18.1 percent more than during the same month in 2009. Canadian steel inventories at the end of December of nearly 1.4 million nt were 34 percent above year-earlier levels and equal to a 3.7-month supply at current shipping volume.