The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported Wednesday that during the month of July 2008, US steel mills shipped 9,175,000 net tons (nt), a 3.8 percent increase from the 8,844,000 nt shipped in July 2007 and a 0.4 percent increase from the 9,136,000 nt shipped in the previous month, June 2008.
AISI said that a year-to-year comparison of year-to-date shipments shows the following changes within major market classifications: service centers and distributors, up 5.8 percent; automotive, down 3.9 percent; construction and contractors' products, down 1.2 percent; and oil and gas, up 5.4 percent.
AISI is comprised of 27 member companies and 138 associate and affiliate members, representing approximately 75 percent of both US and North American steel capacity.