Aluminum Shipments improve in North American metal service centers

North American metals service centers generally improved their shipment levels during July, following several consecutive months of declining volumes for shipments of steel and aluminum products.

Data on shipments and inventories of steel and aluminum products at service centers in the U.S. and Canada are compiled by the Metals Service Center Institute, based on information supplied by participating service centers in the U.S. and Canada.

MSCI noted that July marked a break in “the pattern of consistent monthly decline of U.S. steel and aluminum shipments;” while in Canada shipment levels continued to decline at much slower rates.

Aluminum shipments from U.S. service centers rose 5.5% from June to July, to 128,600 tons, and rising 5.7% versus the July 2012 shipment total.

In fact, the latest month’s result represents the first year-on-year increase in 12 months for U.S. service centers’ aluminum shipments. The seven-month total for aluminum shipments is now 867,600 tons, down 5.2% compared to the January-July 2012 shipment volume.

U.S. service centers reported 367,400 tons of aluminum products in inventory, a slight increase (0.1%) from June inventories, but 5.2% less than July 2012 inventories. At the current rate of shipments, U.S. service centers are estimated to have a 2.9-month supply of products.

Finally, Canada’s service centers shipped 12,400 tons of aluminum during July, 3.4% less than was shipped during June, and just 0.3% more than was shipped in July 2012.

For 2013 to-date, Canadian centers have shipped 92,300 tons of aluminum, down 3.7% versus the year-to-date 2012 total.

Canadian aluminum inventories were reported to be 36,200 tons at the end of July, down 0.4% from June’s inventory total, and down 7.2% from the July 2012 inventory total.

At their current rate of shipments, Canadian centers have an estimated 2.9-month supply of aluminum.