US steel mill shipments totaled 4,576,000 net tons in January 2009, 50.5 percent less than in January 2008 when mills shipped 9,246,000 net tons, and 0.8 percent less than shipments in December 2008 when shipments added up to 4,613,000 net tons, reported the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Friday.
Comparing a year-to-year breakdown by market classification of steel shipments, the AISI reported that in January 2009, shipments to service centers and distributors went down 55.9 percent, shipments to the automotive industry decreased 58.3 percent, shipments to the construction and contractors’ product sector fell 59.6 percent and shipments to the oil and gas sector went down 20.2 percent.
AISI is comprised of 24 member companies including integrated and EAF steelmakers, representing approximately 75 percent of both US and North American steel capacity.