Steel Products Prices North America

U.S Raw Steel Production Shows Only Small Gain

May 1, 2018

While some mills claim capacity utilization above 90 percent, the industry overall averaged less than 76 percent in the first four months of the year, according to the weekly raw steel production data reported by the American Iron and Steel Institute. The peak capacity utilization was 78.7 percent in the first week of March. Domestic steelmakers had hoped that trade action by President Trump would lift the industry above the 80 percent level and improve profitability. Weekly steel production has ranged from a low of 1.69 milllion tons to a high of 1.83 million tons in 2018.

Steel production for the week ending April 28 totaled 1,754,000 net tons, a 1.9 percent increase from the same period last year, but down 1.9 percent from the previous week. The mill capability utilization rate for the April 28 week averaged 74.8 percent, down from 76.3 percent the prior week but up from 73.8 percent the prior year, reports AISI.

Adjusted year-to-date producton through April 28 totaled 29,723,000 net tons at a capability utilization rate of 75.5 percent. That’s up 1.6 percent from 29,252,000 tons in the same period last year when the capability utilization was 74.4 percent.

Following is production by district for the week of April 28: North East: 207,000 net tons; Great Lakes, 657,000 net tons; Midwest, 163,000 net tons; South, 652,000 net tons; and West, 75,000 net tons, for a total of 1,754,000.

Note, mill capability for second-quarter 2018 is approximately 30.5 million tons, compared to 30.3 million tons for the same period last year and 30.0 million tons for first-quarter 2018.

The raw steel production tonnage provided in this report is estimated. The figures are compiled from weekly production tonnage from 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 AISI monthly production report provides a more detailed summary of steel production based on data supplied by companies representing 75 percent of U.S. production capacity.

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