September steel shipments down 6.5 percent from September 2004

Washington, DC— The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported that for the month of September 2005, United States steel mills shipped 8,630,000 net tons, a 6.5 percent decrease from the 9,233,000 net tons shipped in September 2004, and a 3.4 percent decrease from the 8,933,000 net tons shipped in the previous month, August 2005.

A year-to-year comparison of year-to-date shipments shows the following changes within major market classifications: service centers and distributors, down 7.2 percent; automotive, up 1.4 percent; construction and contractors’ products, up 2.8 percent; oil and gas, up 9.1 percent; machinery, industrial equipment and tools, down 2.8 percent; appliances, utensils and cutlery, down 3.8 percent; containers, packaging and shipping materials, down 15.1 percent; and electrical equipment, down 7.1 percent.