The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported Tuesday that for the month of February 2012, US steel mills shipped 8.4 million net tons (nt), a 1.1 percent decrease from the 8.5 million nt shipped in the previous month, but a 20.7 percent increase from the 6.9 million nt shipped in February 2011.
Shipments year-to-date in 2012 are 16.9 million nt--a 16.6 percent increase versus 2011 shipments of 14.5 million nt for two months. 2012 shipments through February would annualize at 101 million tons.
A month-to-month comparison of shipments shows the following changes: hot dipped galvanized sheets and strip increased 7 percent; cold rolled sheet shipments were down 4 percent; and hot rolled sheet shipments fell 6 percent.