According to the latest report issued by the association of European steel and metal distributors EUROMETAL, in the January-July period of the current year steel shipments to end-user segments by European flat steel service centers (SSCs) decreased by 20.3 percent year on year. In July, strip mill product shipments declined by 11.8 percent year on year, while they had decreased by 16.5 percent year on year in June.
When expressed in days of shipments, stocks at EU-based SSCs reached 71 days in July this year, compared to 72 days in July 2019.
In the first seven months of this year, sales by multi-product and proximity steel stockholding distributors were lower for almost all products of their portfolios. Only rebar shipments were higher. In the January-July period, total shipments dropped by 13.2 percent year on year. In July alone, all steel product shipments by the distributors decreased by 13.8 percent year on year.
Expressed in days of shipments, stock volumes of multi-product and proximity steel stockholding distributors amounted to 79 days of shipments in July this year, compared to 78 days in July 2019.