Import, domestic shipments keep docks busy: U.S. metalcasters are forecast to ship 14 million tons, and imports should rise to 3.6 million tons, as captive tonnage decreases.

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Import, domestic shipments keep docks busy: U.S. metalcasters are forecast to ship 14 million tons, and imports should rise to 3.6 million tons, as captive tonnage decreases.

Stratecasts Inc., Fort Myers, Fla., forecasts a 10-year high for casting tonnage available for sale by non-captive metalcasting facilities in 2008, reaching 13.3 million tons (Table 1)--4.1 million tons higher than 1997 (Table 2). Imports are expected to rise to 3.6 million tons, but domestic shipments by U.S. metalcasting facilities are forecast to increase to 14 million tons despite those record imports.

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Table 1 forecasts the demand for castings in 2008, along with estimated domestic shipments, imports, exports, captive production and tons available for sale by non-captive domestic and foreign metalcasting fa...

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