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(AMM) Primary metal shipments, new orders log April drop

May 29, 2009 - 21:50 GMT Location: CHICAGO

Primary metal producers' shipments were valued at $12.6 billion in April, down 3.8 percent from $13.1 billion in March and 45.9 percent below the $23.3 billion tallied in April 2008, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's advance report on manufacturers' shipments, inventories and orders.

New orders for primary metal producers slipped 1 percent in April to $11.8 billion from $11.7 billion the previous month and were down 50.7 percent from $23.9 billion from a year earlier.

Primary metal inventories were...

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