October 2003

2003 Steel Shipments Up

Washington, DC— The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported that for the first seven months of 2003, steel shipments were 60,564,000 net tons, representing a 4.5 percent increase from the 57,966,000 net tons shipped during the same period in 2002. For the month of July 2003, U.S. steel mills shipped 8,424,000 net tons, a 0.5 percent increase from the 8,386,000 net tons shipped in July 2002, and a 3.1 percent decrease from the 8,692,000 net tons shipped in the previous month, June 2003.

A year-to-year comparison of shipments shows the following changes within major market classifications: service centers and distributors, up 3.1 percent; automotive, down 7.4 percent; construction and contractors’ products, down 12.3 percent; oil and gas, up 6.1 percent; machinery, industrial equipment and tools, down 1.6 percent; appliances, utensils and cutlery, up 7.1 percent; containers, packaging and shipping materials, down 6.0 percent; and electrical equipment, down 11.3 percent.