The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported Tuesday that for the month of October 2012, US steel mills shipped 7.4 million net tons, a 2.7 percent increase from the 7.2 million net tons shipped in the previous month, September 2012, and a 6.3 percent decrease from the 7.9 million net tons shipped in October 2011. Shipments year-to-date in 2012 are 81.1 million net tons, a 6.1 percent increase versus 2011 shipments of 76.4 million net tons for the first ten months of the year. Shipments through October 2012 would annualize at 97 million tons.
Shipments in October were the second lowest monthly amount in 2012 and raw steel capacity utilization in October was 68 percent, the lowest monthly total in 2012.
A comparison of October shipments to the previous month of September shows the following changes: hot rolled sheet shipments rose6 percent, hot dipped galvanized sheets and strip were up 3 percent and cold rolled sheet shipments were unchanged.