Steel Products Prices North America

Weekly Raw Steel Production at 1.63 Millions Tons
Written by Brett Linton
March 30, 2015
For the week ending March 28, 2015, the American Iron & Steel Institute (AISI) estimated the U.S. steel industry produced 1,628,000 net tons of raw steel, a 0.7 percent decrease over the previous week and a 12.8 percent decrease over the same week one year ago. The estimated capacity utilization rate is 68.9 percent, down from 69.3 percent last week and down from 77.7 percent last year.
Estimated total raw steel produced for 2015 YTD is reported to be 21,545,000 tons, down 5.7 percent from the 22,848,000 tons produced during the same period in 2014. The average capacity utilization rate for 2015 YTD is estimated to be 73.3 percent, down from 77.1 percent for 2014 YTD.
Note that the total production capability figure for Q1 2015 is based on 30,400,000 tons versus 30,900,000 tons for Q1 2014 and 31,600,000 tons for Q4 2014.
Week-over-week changes per district are as follows: Northeast at 195,000 tons, up 1,000 tons. Great Lakes at 579,000 tons, down 33,000 tons. Midwest at 213,000 tons, down 1,000 tons. South at 556,000 tons, up 20,000 tons. West at 85,000 tons, up 2,000 tons. Total production was 1,628,000 tons, down 11,000 tons.
SMU Note (1): A large drop in raw steel production is a good sign for the current market conditions. It means the inventory adjustments that need to be made at the service centers are happening. This adjustment, combined with a marginal spread between foreign and domestic prices which dampens the need to buy foreign steel will result in a much stronger domestic market in the 2nd Half 2015.
SMU Note (2): You can view the interactive graphic on weekly raw steel production below when you are logged into the website and reading the newsletter online. If you have not logged into the website in the past and need your username and password, contact us at info@SteelMarketUpdate.com or by calling 800-432-3475. If you need help navigating the website we would also be very happy to assist you.
{amchart id=”84″ Weekly Raw Steel Production from AISI}
Brett Linton
Read more from Brett LintonLatest in Steel Products Prices North America
Atlas Tube up $50/ton following NLMK USA sheet price hike
Atlas Tube, in a leading move, said it aims to increase prices for mechanical tubing, hollow structural sections (HSS), and piling products by at least $50 per short ton (st).
NLMK USA up $50/ton on HR and CR, up $100/ton on coated
NLMK USA plans to increase prices for hot-rolled and cold-rolled coil by at least $50 per short ton (st). The move is effective immediately for all spot orders, the steelmaker said in a letter to customers on Friday.
SMU Price Ranges: Sheet floor holds as market debates upside
Our average HR coil price increased $5/short ton from last week, marking a second consecutive week of modest gains. Market participants generally attributed the increase to...
Thin demand keeps plate prices hovering at lowest levels since February
Participants in the domestic plate market say spot prices appear to have hit the floor, and they continue to linger there. They say demand for steel remains thin, with plate products no exception.
SMU Price Ranges: HR crawls back to $800/ton
SMU’s HR price stands at $800/st on average, up $5/st from last week. The modest gain came as the low end of our range firmed, and despite the high end of our range declining slightly.
