According to the Metals Service Center Institute, steel and aluminum shipments were essentially flat or declined by small percentages at both U.S. and Canadian service centers. MSCI noted inventory increased across the board.
U.S. service center steel shipments in August 2014 increased by a small amount from the same period in 2013. Steel product inventories increased 13.5% from August a year ago. U.S. service center shipments of aluminum products increased by 1.6% in August from the same month in 2013. Inventories of aluminum products increased 10.8% from August a year ago.
MSCI also reported Canadian service center shipments of steel products in August decreased by 4.6% from the same time a year ago. Steel product inventories increased 8.0% from August a year ago. Canadian service center aluminum shipments increased 2.0% from the same month in 2013, while inventories of aluminum products increased 15.0% from August 2013.
