The American Iron & Steel Institute (AISI) reported their estimated raw steel production data for the week ending December 24, 2011. According to AISI estimates the U.S. steel industry produced 1,900,000 net tons of raw steel last week. This represents a decrease of 2.3% compared to the week earlier but is 14.8% higher than the same week one year ago.

The AISI estimates the capacity utilization rate to be 76.7%.

Year to date the AISI estimates total raw steel produced to be 93,727,000 net tons up 7.8% compared to the 86,914,000 tons produced through the same period last year. The average capacity utilization rate is estimated to be 74.7% so far this year up from 70.4% last year.

North East Coast: produced 137,000 tons up 8,000 tons from the previous week.
Pittsburgh/Youngstown: produced 146,000 tons down 6,000 tons from the previous week.
Lake Erie: produced 46,000 tons unchanged from the previous week.
Detroit: produced 114,000 tons unchanged from the previous week.
Indiana/Chicago: produced 494,000 tons down 7,000 tons from the previous week.
Midwest: produced 257,000 tons up 3,000 tons from the previous week.
Southern: produced 625,000 tons down 39,000 tons from the previous week.
Western: produced 81,000 tons down 4,000 tons from the previous week.