2009 a year to forget, yet one that will certainly be remembered

Dec 20, 2009 | 07:00 PM |

The best thing about 2009 may be that it's almost over.

Look at any set of numbers, and the picture they paint is not a pretty one.

For starters, take the American Iron and Steel Institute's stats on pipe and tube shipments by U.S. manufacturers. (See StatFlash on page 9.)

In 2008, AISI members reported shipping nearly 5.1 million tons of tubulars. Through October of 2009, the most recent date for which data are available, that number was only about 1.9 million tons. Perspectives doubts whether we'll even make it to 3 million tons in 2009 once all the data are in.

Maybe this will give you an idea of just how bad the situation in 2009 has been. Back in 2008, domestic producers shipped roughly 2.3 million tons of seamless tubulars and approximately 2.7 million tons of welded material. If we're lucky, we might match one of those figures for seamless and welded combined in 2009.....





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This whole thing is becoming a game of smoke.

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