According to the latest report issued by the association of European steel and metal distributors EUROMETAL, in the January-April period of the current year steel shipments to end-user segments by European flat steel service centers (SSCs) increased by 17.9 percent year on year.
In April, strip mill product shipments increased by 109 percent year on year, while they had increased by 21.7 percent year on year in March.
When expressed in days of shipments, stocks at EU-based SSCs totaled 62 days in April this year, compared to 142 days in April 2020.
In the first four months of this year, sales by multi-product and proximity steel stockholding distributors recorded lower shipments for long products and higher shipments for strip mill products, tubular products and stainless steel. In the January-April period, total shipments increased by 7.2 percent year on year. In April alone, all steel product shipments by the distributors increased by 38.4 percent year on year. All products had a positive trend.
When expressed in days of shipments, stock volumes at multi-product and proximity steel stockholding distributors leveled in April 2021 at 61 days of shipments, compared to 94 days in April 2020.