Steel exports decline in September

   Steel exports fell by 10.9 percent in September, month-over-month, and declined by 3.4 percent year-over-year, according to government data.
   “All export markets for American-made steel declined in September over August, with the exception of the small Asian market, which posted a small increase for the month. It is hard to know whether the government shutdown affected the September export data compilation process. We will have to wait until the October data are available to determine if this is a one-month anomaly or a weakening trend as we approach the end of the year,” Richard Chriss, executive director of the American Institute for International Steel, said in a statement.
   In September, total steel exports hit 1.022 million tons, falling off from the 1.147 million tons recorded in August. Through the first nine months of the year, exports fell by 8.1 percent, year-over-year, from 10.592 million tons in 2012 to 9.739 million tons in 2013.