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U.S Raw Steel Production Remains Above 1.8 Million Tons

March 20, 2018

Steel production in the United States continued at a high level last week. U.S. raw steel production for the week ending March 17 totaled 1,826,000 net tons, a 6.4 percent increase from the same period last year and up 0.7 percent from the previous week. This is the third week in a row that production has topped 1.8 milllion tons, a mark the industry has not seen since January 2015. The mill capability utilization rate for the March 17 week averaged 78.3 percent, up from 77.8 percent the prior week, reports the American Iron and Steel Institute in Washington.

Adjusted year-to-date producton through March 17 totaled 19,013,000 net tons at a capability utilization rate of 75.1 percent. That’s up 0.4 percent from the same period last year when the capability utilization was 74.6 percent.

Following is production by district for the week of March 17: North East: 218,000 net tons; Great Lakes, 672,000 net tons; Midwest, 164,000 net tons; South, 707,000 net tons; and West, 65,000 net tons, for a total of 1,826,000.

Note, mill capability for first-quarter 2018 is approximately 30.0 million tons, compared to 30.0 million tons for the same period last year and 30.6 million tons for fourth-quarter 2017.

The raw steel production tonnage provided in this report is estimated. The figures are compiled from weekly production tonnage from 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 AISI monthly production report provides a more detailed summary of steel production based on data supplied by companies representing 75 percent of U.S. production capacity.

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