According to a report released Friday by the Metal Service Center Institute, US service center steel shipments in April 2014 increased by 4.9 percent from April 2013. 2014 year-to-date steel shipments increased by 3.1 percent from the same period in 2013. Steel product inventories increased 3.7 percent from April a year ago.
Meanwhile, Canadian service center shipments of steel products decreased by 5.6 percent in April 2014 from April 2013. Steel product inventories decreased 11.7 percent from April of last year.