According to the latest Metals Activity Report from US based Metals Service Center Institute, US and Canadian metals service centers rebounded in April from unseasonably low levels in March, with year over year shipment increases in nearly all metals categories.

Inventories of both metals remained at levels well below total stocks at the end of April 2007 and were down, as well, from inventories reported at the end of March 2008, with one important exception, the Metals Activity Report from the Metals Service Center Institute shows.

The one exception was inventories of steel products in the United States, which rose slightly, to 12.4 million tons or 2.6% above US steel stocks at the end of March. Metals customers appear to buy only when they need product and service centers have maintained inventories closely aligned with demand.

Shipments of steel products from US service centers rose 3.3% in April, to 4.65 million tons as compared with April 2007. For the year to date, shipments of 17.7 million tons were down 2.8% from volume during the first four months of 2007. Month end inventories of 12.4 million tons were 15.1% lower than April 2007 stockpiles and, at current shipping rates, represented a 2.7 month supply.

Steel product shipments from Canadian metals service centers totaled 328,400 tons, a 6.6% increase from shipments in April 2007. Steel shipments for the first four months of 2008 totaled 1.28 million tons, a decline of 0.7% from the same period a year ago. Steel inventories held by Canadian service centers at the end of April totaled almost 1.1 million tons, or 15.2% below year earlier levels and, at current shipping rates, equal to a 3.3 month supply.

The Metals Activity Report, based on data from metals service centers in the United States and Canada, is produced by the Metals Service Center Institute and a third party econometrics and strategy firm, McCoy, Scott & Co.

Founded in 1909, the Metals Service Center Institute has more than 420 members operating from about 1,200 locations in the US, Canada, Mexico, and elsewhere in the world. Together, MSCI members constitute the largest single group of metals purchasers in North America, amounting each year to more than 65 million tons of steel, aluminum, and other metals, with about 300,000 manufacturers and fabricators as customers.

According to the latest Metals Activity Report from US based Metals Service Center Institute, US and Canadian metals service centers rebounded in April from unseasonably low levels in March, with year over year shipment increases in nearly all metals categories.

Inventories of both metals remained at levels well below total stocks at the end of April 2007 and were down, as well, from inventories reported at the end of March 2008, with one important exception, the Metals Activity Report from the Metals Service Center Institute shows.

The one exception was inventories of steel products in the United States, which rose slightly, to 12.4 million tons or 2.6% above US steel stocks at the end of March. Metals customers appear to buy only when they need product and service centers have maintained inventories closely aligned with demand.

Shipments of steel products from US service centers rose 3.3% in April, to 4.65 million tons as compared with April 2007. For the year to date, shipments of 17.7 million tons were down 2.8% from volume during the first four months of 2007. Month end inventories of 12.4 million tons were 15.1% lower than April 2007 stockpiles and, at current shipping rates, represented a 2.7 month supply.

Steel product shipments from Canadian metals service centers totaled 328,400 tons, a 6.6% increase from shipments in April 2007. Steel shipments for the first four months of 2008 totaled 1.28 million tons, a decline of 0.7% from the same period a year ago. Steel inventories held by Canadian service centers at the end of April totaled almost 1.1 million tons, or 15.2% below year earlier levels and, at current shipping rates, equal to a 3.3 month supply.

The Metals Activity Report, based on data from metals service centers in the United States and Canada, is produced by the Metals Service Center Institute and a third party econometrics and strategy firm, McCoy, Scott & Co.

Founded in 1909, the Metals Service Center Institute has more than 420 members operating from about 1,200 locations in the US, Canada, Mexico, and elsewhere in the world. Together, MSCI members constitute the largest single group of metals purchasers in North America, amounting each year to more than 65 million tons of steel, aluminum, and other metals, with about 300,000 manufacturers and fabricators as customers.