EU, UK flat steel service center shipments up 9.3% in Jan-Nov: EUROMETAL

Shipments of flat steel products from service centers in the EU27 and the UK rose by 9.3% year on year in January-November 2021, as demand boomed in the recovery from 2020’s pandemic-related market depression, service stockholders’ and distributors’ association EUROMETAL said Jan 12.

Distributors’ shipments of long steel products overall rose 5.2% in the same period, according to EUROMETAL.

EU steel distributors and service centers supply around 80 million mt/year of steel, tubes and metals to EU end-use sectors. This accounts for more than 60% of the supply of steel and tubes to more than 1 million end-users in EU manufacturing industries and construction-related sectors, according to the association.

Strip mill products

Despite gaining in the 11-month period, strip mill products shipments fell 8.1% in November 2021 from the same month of the previous year, the association said in its report.

In days of shipments, strip mill products stocks reached 64 days in November 2021, or an index of 86 (average 2018 = index 100), Eurometal said.

This compared to stock levels of 57 days in November of the previous year, at an index of 78, it said.

Long products

In the category EU27 and UK multi-product & proximity steel stockholding distribution, only rebars and merchant bars registered lower shipments in the first 11 months of 2021, compared to the same period a year earlier, according to EUROMETAL.

In days of shipments, stock volumes in November 2021 in this category stood at 78 days of shipments (at an index of 87), higher than the 67-day level of in November 2020 (index of 80), the association reported.

In the month of November 2021, shipments in the total steel products category fell 7.7% from November 2020 levels, although plates, rebars, tubular products, stainless steel and other alloy steels showed a positive performance, the association reported.

— Diana Kinch