Steel Products
AISI Estimated Raw Steel Production & SMU & AISI Capacity Utilization Rates
Written by John Packard
January 2, 2013
The American Iron & Steel Institute (AISI) reported their estimated raw steel production data for the week ending December 22, 2012. According to AISI estimates the U.S. steel industry produced 1,840,000 net tons of raw steel last week. This represents an increase of 0.7 percent compared to the week earlier but is 1.2 percent lower than the same week one year ago.
The AISI estimates the capacity utilization rate to be 74.5 percent. SMU estimates the true capacity utilization rate to be 79.1 percent after deducting RG Steel tonnage from the mix. As you can see the RG Steel tonnage can create quite a difference in the capacity utilization rates.
Year to date the AISI estimates total raw steel produced to be 95,400,000 net tons up 2.8 percent compared to the 92,842,000 tons produced through the same period last year. The average capacity utilization rate is estimated to be 75.7 percent so far this year up from 74.4 percent last year.
The North East district produced 183,000 net tons, up 3,000 tons from the previous week.
The Great Lakes district produced 679,000 net tons, up 20,000 tons from the previous week.
The Midwest district produced 261,000 net tons, down 4,000 tons from the previous week.
The Southern district produced 635,000 net tons, up 3,000 tons from the previous week.
The Western district produced 82,000 net tons, down 9,000 tons from the previous week.
Total production was 1,840,000 net tons, up 13,000 tons from the previous week.
We expect the data from last week to become available on Wednesday and will be published in Thursday’s issue of SMU.
John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Steel Products
Galv buyers less optimistic about short-term market
“It was a little more of a seller's market as contractors seemed to be protecting themselves against a potential run up in prices," one buyer said.
SMU flat-rolled market survey results now available
SMU’s latest steel buyers market survey results are now available on our website to all premium members. After logging in at steelmarketupdate.com, visit the pricing and analysis tab and look under the “survey results” section for “latest survey results.” Past survey results are also available under that selection. If you need help accessing the survey results, or if […]
US, offshore CRC prices continue to fall
US cold-rolled (CR) coil prices were down again this week, slipping six weeks in a row and seeing the sharpest drop-off since last July.
Asian HR remains much cheaper than US, EU product
Domestic hot-rolled (HR) coil prices fell this week, now down seven of the last eight weeks.
April service center shipments and inventories report
Flat rolled = 57.6 shipping days of supply Plate = 54.5 shipping days of supply Flat rolled US service centers’ flat-rolled steel supply edged up in April, as shipments slowed. At the end of April, US service centers carried 57.6 shipping days of supply, according to adjusted SMU data. This is up from 56.4 shipping […]