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    October 14, 2014

    Weekly Raw Steel Production Continues to Fall

    Written by Brett Linton

    For the week ending October 11, 2014, the American Iron & Steel Institute (AISI) estimated that the U.S. steel industry produced 1,804,000 net tons (NT) of raw steel, a 1.2 percent decrease over the previous week and a 1.5 percent decrease over the same week one year ago. The estimated capacity utilization rate is 75.0 percent, down from 75.9 percent last week and down from 76.5 percent last year. These are the lowest levels seen since the week ending April 12, 2014 when raw production was at 1,785,000 tons and the capacity utilization rate was 74.2 percent.

    Estimated total raw steel produced for 2014 YTD is reported to be 75,241,000 tons, up 0.5 percent from the 74,857,000 tons produced during the same period in 2013. The average capacity utilization rate for 2014 YTD is estimated to be 77.2 percent, up from 77.0 percent for 2013 YTD. Note that there has been a change in production capability for 2014–comparisons between 2013 and 2014 capacity utilization rates are against different production levels, so the total tonnage figures are best suited for yearly comparisons.

    Brett Linton

    Brett Linton is a digital operations analyst for Steel Market Update, where he began his career. Linton has been in the steel industry since 2010. He has held roles as a category manager and strategic insights director at Reibus before returning to SMU in 2024. He is a graduate of The University of North Georgia with a degree in Finance and Accounting. Brett can be reached at brett@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-314-0179.

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