The first five months of the year showed a significant recovery in shipments for multi-product stockholding distributors and flat steel service centres, according to European association Eurometal.
EU flat SSC shipments recovered 10% year-on-year during the Jan-May period, with May marking a 13% y-o-y recovery compared with the same month in 2015.
Multi-product distributors on the other hand registered a 4% y-o-y recovery in shipments during the first five months of the year. The main driver in the recovery was long products, which saw shipments increasing 8% y-o-y during the period. The increase in shipments is usually associated to stronger end-user demand for steel.
Both SSC and multi-product distributors decreased their stock levels during the first five months of the year. At the end of May, SSC had 64 days of shipments at their plants, down two days y-o-y. Multi-product distributors held 70 days of shipments at the end of May, compared with 81 days a year before.
— Emanuele Norsa
