Steel Products Prices North America

Weekly Raw Steel Capacity Utilization Rate at 74.1%

Written by Brett Linton

May 16, 2017

For the week ending May 13, 2017, the American Iron & Steel Institute (AISI) estimated the U.S. steel industry produced 1,728,000 net tons of raw steel, a 0.5 percent decrease over the previous week and a 0.2 percent decrease over the revised rate from the same week one year ago. The estimated capacity utilization rate for steel production is 74.1 percent, down from 74.5 percent last week and the same as it was one year ago.

Estimated total raw steel produced for 2017 YTD is reported to be 32,924,000 tons, up 3.2 percent from the 31,912,000 tons produced during the same period in 2016. The average capacity utilization rate for 2017 YTD is estimated to be 74.3 percent, up from 72.1 for 2016 YTD.

Week-over-week changes per district are as follows: Northeast at 202,000 tons, down 8,000 tons. Great Lakes at 640,000 tons, down 47,000 tons. Midwest at 167,000 tons, down 3,000 tons. South at 639,000 tons, up 47,000 tons. West at 80,000 tons, up 2,000 tons. Total production was 1,728,000 tons, down 9,000 tons.

The AISI estimates production capability for Q1 2017 at approximately 30.5 million tons, compared to 30.4 million tons for Q1 2016 and 31.2 million tons for Q4 2016. Q2 2017 production capability figures from the AISI have not been released yet.

About Weekly Raw Steel Production Data

The weekly raw steel production tonnage provided by the AISI is estimated. The figures are compiled from weekly production tonnage provided by 50 percent of the domestic producers combined with monthly production data for the remainder. Therefore, this report should be used primarily to assess production trends. The monthly AISI production report provides a more detailed summary of steel production based on data supplied by companies representing over 75 percent of U.S. production capacity.

SMU Note: Below is a graphic showing the weekly raw steel production history. To use the graphs interactive capabilities, you must view it on our website. You can do this by clicking here. If you need help navigating the website or need to know your login information, contact us at info@SteelMarketUpdate.com or by calling 800-432-3475.

Brett Linton

Brett Linton is a senior analyst for Steel Market Update, where he began his career. Linton has been in the steel industry since 2010. He has held roles as a category manager and strategic insights director at Reibus before returning to SMU in 2024. He is a graduate of The University of North Georgia with a degree in Finance and Accounting. Brett can be reached at brett@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-314-0179.

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