Editor’s note 11/17/20: The data in the “Supply Tons YTD” column on Table 3 didn’t populate correctly, and therefore, was in error. Table 3 has now been updated accordingly. Mill shipments and supply of sheet products continue to see slight yet steady growth since reaching bottom in June. This analysis is based on steel mill […]
U.S. raw steel production remained steady in September, up 0.8 percent to 6,587,000 net tons, as reported by the American Iron and Steel Institute. AISI’s monthly raw steel production estimates are different than the weekly estimates SMU reports each Tuesday; the monthly estimates are based on over 75 percent of the domestic mills reporting versus […]
Weekly raw steel production by U.S. mills continues to climb, a trend that started back in May. In the week ending Nov. 7, raw steel production totaled 1,573,000 net tons. The capacity utilization rate rose to 71.1 percent, up from 70.0 percent the week prior. Despite the steady rise in output, the current week’s production represents […]
Growing up I was a bit of a history nerd and my original intention was to be a political science major when I entered Hamline University where I went to college. Over time I morphed into a bit of a political nerd, so elections are exciting times for me. They may not be for many […]
Domestic mills continue to increase steel production as the economy rebounds from the coronavirus, with the capacity utilization rate topping 70 percent again for the first time since late-March. In the week ending Oct. 31, raw steel production totaled 1,557,000 net tons, at a mill operating rate of 70.4 percent, up from 69.7 percent the […]
By Principal Consultant Josh Spoores, from CRU’s Steel Sheet Products Monitor North American sheet prices have continued to surge after bottoming this past August. For HR coil, prices have been assessed at $712 /s.ton. Since Aug. 12, these prices have gained $237 /s.ton, or 63%. This is the fastest percent gain over three months in […]
Editor’s note 11/3/20: Some of the data as originally published in Table 1 was incorrect due to a spreadsheet error (specifically the change in shipments 3M Y/Y column). The table has been updated with the correct information below. Mill shipments and supply of sheet products have turned, albeit slightly, since reaching bottom in […]
Weekly raw steel production by U.S. mills rose again by 0.5 percent to 1,542,000 net tons in the week ending Oct. 24. The mill operating rate hit 69.7 percent, up from 69.4 percent the week prior. Despite the steady increases over the past 20 weeks as the economy recovers from COVID, domestic steel production was still […]
Raw steel production by U.S. mills rose again by 2.2 percent to 1,535,000 net tons in the week ending Oct. 17, continuing an uptrend that began nearly five months ago. The mill operating rate hit 69.4 percent, up from 67.9 percent the week prior. Despite the repeated rise in capacity utilization, production was still down by 15.0 percent […]
Raw steel production by U.S. mills rose another 1.2 percent in the week ending Oct. 10 to 1,502,000 net tons, the 16th increase in the last 18 weeks. The operating rate reached 67.9 percent last week, up from 66.6 percent the week prior. Even though production has experienced steady increases, mill output was still 16.8 percent below levels of […]
U.S. raw steel production rose 9.4 percent to 6,538,000 net tons in August, as reported by the American Iron and Steel Institute in Washington. August production is slightly below the 2020 monthly average of 6,580,000 tons, and down 19.8 percent compared to the same month last year. August production was 560,000 tons higher than July, […]
Raw steel production by U.S. mills increased 0.3 percent in the week ending Oct. 3 to 1,484,000 net tons, another small sign of rising steel demand. The operating rate of 66.6 percent was up from 66.1 percent the week prior. Although domestic production has seen steady gains since April, last week’s output was still 17.7 percent […]
Raw steel production by U.S. mills jumped by 2.4 percent in the week ending Sept. 26 to 1,480,000 net tons, following a small dip in the previous week. The operating rate last week hit 66.1 percent, up from 64.5 percent in the prior week. The last time production topped 66 percent of the mills’ capability was 25 […]
Domestic steel production dipped a bit last week for only the second time in the last 15 weeks. Production by U.S. mills totaled 1,446,000 net tons in the week ending Sept. 19, with the mills operating at an average utilization rate of 64.5 percent. Production in the Sept. 19 week was down 0.9 percent from the prior […]
“More than 18 years after it acceded to the WTO, China continues to fail to comply with its WTO obligations,” stated the America Iron and Steel Institute in comments to the U.S. Trade Representative regarding China’s compliance with World Trade Organization rules. In a 44-page letter to the USTR, AISI claims there is overwhelming evidence […]
Domestic steelmakers continued to dial up production last week, with raw steel output rising for the 13th time in the past 14 weeks. Production by U.S. mills totaled 1,459,000 net tons in the week ending Sept. 12, with the mills at an average utilization rate of 65.1 percent. Production in the Sept. 12 week was up […]
After a brief pause in late August, raw steel production resumed its upward trajectory, rising again for the 12th time in the past 13 weeks. Raw steel output by U.S. mills totaled 1,428,000 net tons in the week ending Sept. 5, with the mills at an average utilization rate of 63.7 percent. Production in the […]
The Trump administration has announced a tightening of Brazil’s steel quota that will sharply reduce the tonnage of steel slabs imported into the U.S. for the rest of the year. “In light of recent deterioration in market conditions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic affecting domestic steel producers, the United States has deemed it necessary […]
After 11 straight weeks of increased steel production, raw steel output and mill capability utilization took a slight step backward last week. Raw steel output by U.S. mills totaled 1,383,000 net tons in the week ending Aug. 29, with the mills at an average utilization rate of 61.7 percent. Production in the Aug. 29 week was down […]
For the 11th week in a row, domestic steelmakers continued to dial up their production–a sign of improving steel demand. Raw steel output by U.S. mills totaled 1,412,000 net tons in the week ending Aug. 22, with the mills hitting an average utilization rate of 63.0 percent, reported the American Iron and Steel Institute. That’s a […]
Mill shipments and supply of sheet products began to turn around in June. This analysis based on steel mill shipment data from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) and import-export data from the U.S. Department of Commerce. The analysis summarizes total steel supply by product from 2008 through June 2020 and year-on-year changes. The […]
Capacity utilization by the domestic mills has topped 60 percent once again as the economy and steel demand continue their slow, painful recovery from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Raw steel production by U.S. mills totaled 1,354,000 net tons in the week ending Aug. 8, with the mills hitting an average utilization rate of […]
Capacity utilization by domestic steelmakers rose for the 10th week in a row last week, but remained about 25 percent behind production in the same week last year, reported the American Iron and Steel Institute. Raw steel production by U.S. mills totaled 1,377,000 net tons in the week ending Aug. 15, with the mills hitting […]
Steel production by U.S. mills has been creeping steadily upward for the past eight weeks as the economy and steel demand slowly recover from the effects of the coronavirus. Production for the first seven months of the year remains nearly 20 percent below the same period in 2019, however. Adjusted year-to-date production through Aug. 1 totaled […]
U.S. raw steel production rose 0.7 percent to 5,453,000 net tons in June, as reported last week by the American Iron and Steel Institute in Washington. June production was well below the 2020 average of 6,687,000 tons, and down 31.7 percent compared to the same month last year. June production was 38,000 tons higher than […]
A possible indication that the economy and steel demand gradually continue to improve, domestic steelmakers increased raw steel production for the seventh week in a row to a total of 1,320,000 net tons in the period ending July 25 with the mills operating at an average utilization rate of 58.9 percent, reported the American Iron […]
Domestic steelmakers continue to increase raw steel production with mill capacity nearing 60 percent once again, even as the spread of the coronavirus threatens new disruptions to the economy. Steel production moved up for the sixth week in a row to a total of 1,306,000 net tons in the period ending July 18 with the […]
Steel production moved up for the fifth week in a row, and the seventh out of the last eight weeks, to a total of 1,289,000 net tons in the period ending July 11 with the mills operating at an average utilization rate of 57.5 percent, reported the American Iron and Steel Institute. Production has increased […]
U.S. raw steel production in May rose 1.9 percent to 5,415,000 net tons, as reported last week by the American Iron and Steel Institute in Washington. May production was well below the 2020 average of 6,934,000 tons, and down nearly 3 million tons or 35.0 percent compared to the same month last year. May production […]
Perhaps a reflection of an improving economy, steel production moved up for the fourth week in a row to a total of 1,268,000 net tons in the period ending July 4 with the mills operating at an average utilization rate of 56.6 percent, reported the American Iron and Steel Institute. Production was up 2.3 percent […]