Steel Products Prices North America

Another Average Week for Raw Steel Production

June 12, 2018

Raw steel production for the week ending June 9 totaled 1,753,000 net tons, a 0.3 percent increase from the same period last year, but down 0.1 percent from the previous week. Weekly raw steel production has leveled out at an average around 1.77 million tons since briefly topping the 1.8 million ton mark in March and April. The mill capability utilization rate for the June 9 week averaged 74.8 percent, about the same as the prior week and prior year. Raw steel capability utilization for the year peaked in March at 78.7 percent, reports the American Iron and Steel Institute.

Adjusted year-to-date producton through June 9 totaled 40,321,000 net tons at a capability utilization rate of 75.5 percent. That’s up 1.8 percent from 35,597,000 tons in the same period last year when the capability utilization was 74.4 percent.

Following is production by district for the week of June 9: North East: 201,000 net tons; Great Lakes, 655,000 net tons; Midwest, 178,000 net tons; South, 645,000 net tons; and West, 74,000 net tons, for a total of 1,753,000.

Note, mill capability for second-quarter 2018 is approximately 30.5 million tons, compared to 30.3 million tons for the same period last year and 30.0 million tons for first-quarter 2018.

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.