Steel Products Prices North America

Raw Steel Production Up 2.8 Percent

Written by Brett Linton

June 6, 2017

Total U.S. raw steel production for the first five months of the year increased by 2.8 percent, to 37,117,000 million tons, reports the American Iron & Steel Institute (AISI) in Washington. The mill capacity utilization rate for the year averaged 74.4 percent, up from 72.1 percent in the year-ago period.

For the week ending June 3, the AISI estimated the U.S. steel industry produced 1,749,000 net tons of raw steel, a 0.2 percent decrease over the previous week but a 0.4 percent increase over the revised rate from the same week one year ago. The estimated capacity utilization rate for steel production was 75.0 percent, down from 75.2 percent the prior week but up from 74.5 percent the same time last year.

Week-over-week changes per district were as follows: Northeast at 215,000 tons, up 1,000 tons. Great Lakes at 621,000 tons, down 30,000 tons. Midwest at 171,000 tons, up 5,000 tons. South at 665,000 tons, up 21,000 tons. West at 77,000 tons, down 1,000 tons.

The AISI estimates production capability for Q2 2017 at approximately 30.3 million tons, down slightly from 30.4 million tons for Q2 2016 and 30.0 million tons for Q1 2017.

About Weekly Raw Steel Production Data

The weekly raw steel production tonnage provided by the AISI is estimated. The figures are compiled from weekly production tonnage provided by 50 percent of the domestic producers combined with monthly production data for the remainder. Therefore, this report should be used primarily to assess production trends. The monthly AISI production report provides a more detailed summary of steel production based on data supplied by companies representing over 75 percent of U.S. production capacity.

SMU Note: Below is a graphic showing the weekly raw steel production history. To use the graphs interactive capabilities, you must view it on our website. You can do this by clicking here. If you need help navigating the website or need to know your login information, contact us at info@SteelMarketUpdate.com or by calling 800-432-3475.

Brett Linton

Brett Linton is a senior 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.

Read more from Brett Linton

Latest in Steel Products Prices North America