Steel Products Prices North America

Mill Utilization Rate Inches Back Over 80 Percent

July 16, 2019

The U.S. mill capability utilization rate increased by 1.1 percent from the previous week, edging back up over 80 percent, reported the American Iron and Steel Institute. Raw steel production for the week ending July 13 totaled 1,867,000 net tons, for a mill utilization rate of 80.2 percent. Production was up by 1.6 percent compared with the same week last year, when capacity utilization averaged 78.4 percent.

Adjusted year-to-date production through July 13 totaled 52,325,000 net tons at an average capability utilization rate of 81.1 percent. That’s up 5.2 percent from the 49,756,000 net tons during the same period last year when the capability utilization rate was 77.0 percent.

Following is production by district for the July 13 week: North East: 195,000 net tons; Great Lakes, 683,000 net tons; Midwest, 205,000 net tons; South, 709,000 net tons; and West, 75,000 net tons, for a total of 1,867,000 tons. Production for the week increased in the South, Midwest and West, but decreased in the Northeast and Great Lakes regions.

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.

Note: Capability for third-quarter 2019 is approximately 30.6 million tons compared to 30.8 million tons for the same period last year and 30.3 million tons for second-quarter 2019.