European steel distribution shipments rise in November

European steel distributors’ association EUROMETAL tells Kallanish that European Union (EU) distribution sector shipments increased while inventories decreased year-on-year for both flat and long products in November.

Flat steel service centres (SSC) saw EU shipments grow by 4% y-o-y in November following a -7% fall in October. Over the first eleven months of 2016 shipments have risen by 1.4% on-year. Stock volumes within EU SSC, when expressed in days of sales, noted 62 days in November 2016, compared with 63 days in November 2015, EUROMETAL says.

EU Multi-Product & Proximity Stockholding distribution, mainly involving longs, tubular products and stainless steel, also registered an increase in shipments in all main product lines, except for tubular products and stainless steels, EUROMETAL adds.

November shipments in this sector rose by 2% y-o-y and grew slightly by 0.1% y-o-y for the first eleven months of 2016. Stocks within the EU Multi-Product & Proximity Steel Stockholding Distribution sector, expressed in days of sales, reached 69 days in November 2016, the association continues. This compares with 72 days during the same month of 2015.