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February 16, 2010

Canadian Steel Shipments Rise Briskly

February 16, 2010

Canadian Steel Shipments Rise Briskly

ROLLING MEADOWS, Illinois, February 16, 2010 – Shipments of steel products from Canadian metals service centers were 9.2% higher than in January a year ago, the Metals Activity Report from the Metals Service Center Institute shows. Also rising were January shipments of aluminum from U.S. metals service centers—up 2.9% from January 2009.

Steel Product Activity

Steel shipments from U.S. metals centers of about 2.58 million tons were 0.9% below year-ago levels. Inventories at the end of January of about 6.26 million tons were 26.2% lower than those of January 2009 and, at current shipping rates, equal to a lean, 2.4-month supply.

Shipments of steel from Canadian service centers totaled 444,400 tons during January. Canadian inventories at the end of the month of 1.18 million tons were equal to a 2.7-month supply.

Aluminum Product Activity

U.S. metals service centers shipped 93,600 tons of aluminum in January and ended the month with 254,400 tons of the metal on hand, equal to a 2.7-month supply at current shipping rates. Service centers in Canada shipped 10,600 tons of aluminum during the month, about 5.7% lower than a year ago. Month-end aluminum inventories in Canada of 30,300 tons were 9.2% lower than a year ago and equal to a 2.9-month supply at current shipping rates.

The Metals Activity Report (MAR), based on data from metals service centers in the United States and Canada, is produced by the Metals Service Center Institute and a third-party econometrics and strategy firm, McCoy, Scott & Co.

Founded in 1909, the Metals Service Center Institute has more than 375 members operating from about 1,200 locations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and elsewhere in the world. Together, MSCI members constitute the largest single group of metals purchasers in North America, amounting each year to more than 55 million tons of steel, aluminum, and other metals, with about 300,000 manufacturers and fabricators as customers. MSCI’s membership also includes almost all ferrous and non-ferrous industrial metals producers in North America. Metals service centers inventory and distribute metals and provide first-stage fabrication services.

Contacts:

Chris Marti, vice president, research (847) 485-3009

cmarti@msci.org

Steve Weiner (503) 646-9108

sweiner@msci.org

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