Weekly Raw Steel Production Jumps to 2+ Year High

For the week ending March 11, 2017, the American Iron & Steel Institute (AISI) estimated the U.S. steel industry produced 1,791,000 net tons of raw steel, a 1.8 percent increase over the previous week and a 6.3 percent increase over the revised rate from the same week one year ago. The estimated capacity utilization rate for steel production is 75.6 percent, up from 74.3 percent last week and up from 72.1 percent this time last year.

The last time weekly raw steel production was this high was the week ending January 24, 2015 when production was 1,825,000 tons and the capacity utilization rate was 75.9 percent. The last time the weekly capacity utilization rate was this high was the week ending June 11, 2016 when production was 1,779,000 tons and the capacity utilization rate was 76.1 percent.