Steel Products Prices North America

Raw Steel Production Up for the Week

January 15, 2019

Raw steel production by U.S. steelmakers in the week ending Jan. 12 totaled 1,891,000 net tons for a capability utilization of 79.8 percent. Steel production was up 0.8 percent from the prior week and up 10.3 percent from the same week last year when the utilization rate was 73.6 percent, reported the American Iron and Steel Institute.

Adjusted year-to-date production through Jan. 12, totaled 3,231,000 net tons, at a capability utilization rate of 79.5 percent. That is up 9.9 percent from the 2,940,000 net tons during the same period last year, when the capability utilization rate was 73.6 percent.

Following is production by district for the Jan. 12 week: North East: 223,000 net tons; Great Lakes, 731,000 net tons; Midwest, 206,000 net tons; South, 654,000 net tons; and West, 77,000 net tons, for a total of 1,891,000 tons.

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.

Note: Capability for first-quarter 2019 is approximately 30.5 million tons compared to 30.0 million tons for the same period last year and 30.8 million tons for fourth-quarter 2018.