U.S. Steel Mill Shipments Witnessed Marginal Decline

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The total shipments by U.S. steel mills recorded marginal decline during the month of April this year upon comparison with the prior month.

The latest trade statistics published by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) for the month of April 2019 suggests 1.4% month-on-month decline in steel shipments. The shipments totaled 8.210 million net tons in April, as compared with the shipments of 8.328 million net tons in March. When compared with the year-ago month, the shipments recorded a surge of 5.3%. It must be noted that the U.S. steel mill shipments had totaled only 7.798 million net tons in April last year.

A comparison with the prior month shows that shipments of hot rolled sheets declined modestly by 4% in April this year. At the same time, shipments of hot dipped galvanized sheets and strip edged higher by 2%. Also, cold rolled sheet shipments were up by 1%.

According to AISI data, the cumulative steel shipments by U.S. mills totaled 32.362 million net tons during the initial four-month period in 2019. This is marginally higher by 3.5% when compared with the shipments of 31.260 million net tons during the corresponding four-month period in 2018.

The U.S. imported a total of 3.304 million net tons of steel, including 2.011 million net tons of finished steel in April this year. The country’s total and finished steel imports totaled 11.489 million net tons and 8.067 million net tons during the first four months of the current year, down 7.8% and 17% respectively over the previous year.