May steel shipments up 1.7 percent

The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported that for the month of May 2011, United States steel mills shipped 7,380,064 net tons, a 1.7 percent increase from the 7,258,534 net tons shipped in the previous month, April 2011, and a 0.5 percent increase from the 7,345,455 net tons shipped in May 2010.

Shipments year-to-date in 2011 are 37,140,749 a 6.3 percent increase versus 2010 shipments of 34,940,934 for 5 months.

A month-to-month comparison of shipments shows the following changes: cold rolled sheet, up 4 percent, hot dipped galvanized sheet and strip, up 4 percent and hot rolled sheet, down 0.1 percent.