CURRENT INDUSTRIAL REPORTS
M33J - SUMMARY 1996

M33J(96)-13
Issued March 17, 1997
REVISED MAY 15, 1997

Contact: Ann Truffa, 301-457-4846


Table 1.  END-OF-MONTH INVENTORIES AND RELATED STATISTICS
           ON STEEL MILL SHAPES AND FORMS:  1996 AND 1995
(Thousand short tons)

                       Steel        Producing mills
   Month and         service          inventories
     year            centers
                      inven-           Steel in  Finished
                   tories(1)     Total  process     steel

     1996

December..........     6,962  r/12,900  r/7,300     5,600
November..........     6,816  r/12,900  r/7,300     5,600
October...........     6,827  r/12,800  r/7,200     5,600
September.........     6,761  r/12,800  r/7,300     5,500
August............     6,772  r/12,800  r/7,200     5,600
July..............     6,685  r/12,800  r/7,300     5,500

June..............     6,614  r/12,600  r/7,200     5,400
May...............     6,502  r/12,400  r/7,200     5,200
April.............     6,499  r/12,700  r/7,300     5,400
March.............     6,168  r/12,900  r/7,200     5,700
February..........     6,337  r/12,700  r/7,200     5,500
January...........     6,321  r/13,100  r/7,400     5,700

     1995

December..........     6,518    13,000    7,100     5,900
November..........     6,930    12,700    6,900     5,800
October...........     7,200    12,600    6,800     5,800
September.........     7,502    13,300    7,200     6,100
August............     7,329    13,100    7,100     6,000
July..............     7,853    13,700    7,600     6,100

June..............     7,886    13,500    7,400     6,100
May...............     7,947    13,800    7,600     6,200
April.............     7,802    14,000    7,700     6,300
March.............     7,732    13,600    7,600     6,000
February..........     7,402    13,900    7,800     6,100
January...........     7,358    13,700    7,800     5,900

    r/Revised by 5 percent or more from previously
published data.

    1/ Source:  Steel Service Center Institute.


Table 2.  NET SHIPMENTS AND IMPORTS OF STEEL MILL
           SHAPES:  1996 AND 1995
(Thousand short tons)

                              Manufac-         Imports
    Month and year         turers' net             for
                          shipments(1)  consumption(2)

         1996

     Total...............      100,130          25,566
December.................        8,043           2,255
November.................        7,906           2,778
October..................        8,812           2,495
September................        8,307           2,332
August...................        8,407           2,599
July.....................        8,097           2,288

June.....................        8,335           1,985
May......................        8,817           2,021
April....................        8,538           1,880
March....................        8,428           1,614
February.................        8,260           1,632
January..................        8,180           1,687

         1995

     Total...............       97,658          21,354
December.................        7,494           1,413
November.................        8,103           1,467
October..................        8,636           1,364
September................        8,177           1,377
August...................        8,519           1,557
July.....................        7,294           1,696

June.....................        8,321           1,804
May......................        8,439           1,876
April....................        7,794           2,180
March....................        8,953           2,083
February.................        7,799           1,919
January..................        8,129           2,618

    1/ Source: American Iron and Steel Institute.
    2/ Source: Bureau of the Census report IM 145, U.S.
Imports for Consumption.  Import tonnage is derived
from the following HTSUSA import numbers: 7206.10.0000 -
7306.90.5000.

Table 3.  COMPARISON OF MANUFACTURERS' NET SHIPMENTS WITH APPARENT
           CONSUMPTION OF STEEL MILL SHAPES FROM 1991 TO 1995 1/
(Thousands of short tons)

     Product description         1995     1994     1993    1992    1991

Manufacturers' net shipments.  98,023   99,144   91,372  82,895  78,255

Exports 1/...................   6,355    3,527    3,653   3,863   4,121

Imports 2/...................  21,163   26,675   17,898  16,045  15,001

Apparent Consumption 3/...... 112,831  122,292  105,617  95,077  89,135

   1/ Source:  Current Industrial Report MA33B, Steel Mill Products.
Net shipments figures are somewhat understated because of the method
used to calculate these data.  These figures are derived by subtracting
total domestic recei of all mill shapes at producing mills from the
total quantity of shipments, plus steel consumed in producing plants prior
to 1980, import receipts were also used in the net shipments calculation.
Beginning in 1980, import receipts of steel mill products for further
processing were collected separately and were no longer used in the net
shipment calculation.
   2/ Source:  Bureau of the Census report IM 145, U.S. Imports for
Consumption.  Import tonnage is derived from the following 1995 HTSUSA
numbers:  7206.10.0000-7306.90.5000.
   3/ Apparent consumption is derived by subtracting exports from the total
of net shipments plus imports.


 
nven-           Steel in  Finished
                   tories(