CURRENT INDUSTRIAL REPORTS
INVENTORIES OF STEEL PRODUCING MILLS - NOVEMBER 1996

M33J(96)-11
Issued January 14, 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)
                                          Producing mills inventories
                          Steel service
     Month and year             centers          Steel in    Finished
                         inventories(1)   Total   process       steel

          1996

  November..............          6,816  12,900     7,000       5,900
  October...............          6,827  12,800     6,900       5,900
  September.............          6,761  12,600     6,800       5,800
  August................          6,772  12,500     6,700       5,800
  July..................          6,685  12,500     6,800       5,700

  June..................          6,614  12,100     6,600       5,500
  May...................          6,502  11,900     6,500       5,400
  April.................          6,499  12,200     6,700       5,500
  March.................          6,168  12,300     6,500       5,800
  February..............          6,337  12,300     6,600       5,700
  January...............          6,321  12,600     6,700       5,900

          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

      1/ Source:Steel Service Center Institute.


Table 2.  NET SHIPMENTS AND IMPORTS OF STEEL MILL
          SHAPES:  1996 AND 1995
(Thousand short tons)
                                Manufacturers'       Imports for
      Month and year          net shipments(1)    consumption(2)

           1996

  November...................            7,906              (NA)
  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

      NA Not available.

      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.