March steel shipments increase

The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported that for the month of March 2011, United States steel mills shipped 8,006,015 net tons, a 14.9 percent increase from the 6,967,481 net tons shipped in the previous month, February 2011, and a 4.7 percent increase from the 7,646,938 net tons shipped in March 2010. Shipments year-to-date in 2011 are 22,502,151 a 9.6 percent increase vs. 2010 shipments of 20,537,822 for three months. 2011 shipments through March would annualize at 90 million tons.

A month-to-month comparison of shipments shows the following changes: hot dipped galvanized sheet and strip, up 19 percent, hot rolled sheet, up 14 percent, and cold rolled sheet, up 13 percent.