After the unprecedented streak of strong demand years in the 1990s, the economy of 2001 made for a trying year for U.S. metalcasters, who were already stung by never-before-seen pricing pressures and the increased presence of imported castings. Following a 19-year shipment high in 1999, and seven consecutive years of casting shipment levels in excess of 14-mlllion short tons (a streak that had not been accomplished in decades), casting shipments fell 10% in 2001 to finish at 13.07 million tons, the lowest total in nearly ten years. The anticipated economic expansion at mid-year, however, is expected to cause a modest rebound in casting demand in 2002 before propelling the industry toward a series of boom years (Fig. 1).
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