US steel shipments show drop year-on-year
Data released by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) show that US steel mills shipped 8.45 million net tons in December 2004, a 6.5% decline compared to the 9.04 million net tons shipped in the same period of 2003. December shipments were also 6.48% lower than the 9.03 million net tons recorded in November 2004. For the year, steel shipments reached 112.09 million net tons in 2004, a 5.8% increase compared to 105.97 million net tons in 2003. Shipment comparisons in major market classifications on year-to-year basis:Service centers-distributors: up by 4.6% Automotive: up by 4.9% Construction, contractors' products: up by 4.9% Oil and gas: up by 13.5% Machinery, industrial equip., tools: up by 20.2% Appliances, utensils, cutlery: up by 1.5% Containers, packaging, shipping materials: up by 1.0% Electrical equipment: down by 5.1%