AISI: Weekly raw steel output stumbles to 19-month low

Raw production last week was 4.3% lower than the year-to-date weekly average of 1,721,000 st. Production is down by 2.7% compared to the same week one year earlier when mill output totaled 1,691,000 st. 

The mill capability utilization rate last week declined to 74.1%. This is off from 76.9% one week prior and down from 74.4% this time last year.

Year-to-date production stood at 66,212,000 st at a capability utilization rate of 76.7%. This is 1.7% less than the same time frame last year, when 67,325,000 st had been produced at a capability utilization rate of 76.9%.

Weekly production by region is shown below, with the weekly changes noted in parentheses:

• Northeast – 116,000 st (down 9,000 st)
• Great Lakes – 576,000 st (down 7,000 st)
• Midwest – 197,000 st (down 7,000 st)
• South – 710,000 st (down 32,000 st).
• West – 47,000 st (down 6,000 st)

Editor’s note: The raw steel production tonnage provided in this report is estimated and should be used primarily to assess production trends. The monthly AISI “AIS 7” report is available by subscription and provides a more detailed summary of domestic steel production.