US steel shipments down

A steady increase in steel imports reflects a dramatic decrease in steel shipments from U.S. steel mills in 2000, according to the Washington, D.C.-based American Iron and Steel Institute.

In November of last year, U.S. steel mills shipped 8.33 million tons, down 7.4% from the 9 million tons shipped in the previous month and down 7.3% from the nearly 9 million tons shipped in the November 1999.

During the first 11 months of 2000, U.S. steel mills shipped 101.5 million tons, up 5.8% from the corresponding period in 1999, when 96 million tons were shipped. The increase occurred despite the fact that the U.S. imported a total of 35.5 million tons of steel during this same period, an increase of 8.7% from the previous year. When annualized, the import total is equal to a 38.7 million tons per year, the second-highest total in history.

During the first 11 months of 2000, finished steel imports totalled 27.5 million tons, or 10.6% higher than in the corresponding period of 1999. They remain on-track to hit 30 million net tons this year, which would be second only to the 1998 total.

A year-to-year comparison of shipments shows the following changes within major market sectors:

– service centres and distributors — up 8.9%;

– automotive — down 4.1%;

– construction and contractors’ products — up 2.6%;

– oil and gas — up 52.3%;

– machinery, industrial equipment and tools — down 0.3%;

– appliances, utensils and cutlery — down 9.4%;

– containers, packaging and shipping materials — down 0.3%; and

– electrical equipment