Steel Products Prices North America
September U.S. Raw Steel Production Inches Upward
Written by Brett Linton
November 13, 2020
U.S. raw steel production remained steady in September, up 0.8 percent to 6,587,000 net tons, as reported by the American Iron and Steel Institute.
AISI’s monthly raw steel production estimates are different than the weekly estimates SMU reports each Tuesday; the monthly estimates are based on over 75 percent of the domestic mills reporting versus only 50 percent reporting for the weekly estimates.
September raw production was 49,000 tons higher than in August, but 1,133,000 tons lower than the same month one year prior. September production was slightly above the 2020 monthly average of 6,581,000 tons, but down 14.7 percent compared to the same month last year.
Broken down by production method, 4,561,000 tons (69.2 percent) were produced by electric arc furnaces (EAFs) and 2,026,000 tons (30.8 percent) were produced by blast furnaces.
The mill capacity utilization rate for September averaged 68.6 percent, up from 65.9 percent in August, but down from 77.4 percent one year ago. The average capacity utilization rate for the year is now 66.8 percent, down from 80.3 percent in the same nine-month period of 2019.
SMU Note: Interactive versions of these raw steel production graphics can be seen in the Analysis section of our website here. We have detailed regional data available as well. If you need assistance logging into or navigating the website, contact us at info@SteelMarketUpdate.com.
Brett Linton
Read more from Brett LintonLatest in Steel Products Prices North America
September Import Share of US Sheet and Plate Markets
Imported sheet and plate products arrived at US ports at a slower clip in September, accounting for a lower share of the domestic market for the third straight month. That’s according to a Steel Market Update analysis of import data from the US Commerce Department and domestic shipment figures from the American Iron and Steel […]
US Apparent Steel Supply Falls Further in September
US apparent steel supply eased further in September, down 8% from August to 8.29 million net tons, according to data from the US Department of Commerce and the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). As the lowest monthly figure since February 2021, this was a 19-month low. September supply was 10% below the average monthly rate […]
Northwest Pipe Reports Sharply Higher Q3 Results
Engineered pipe and tube producer Northwest Pipe Co. posted sharply higher profits for the third quarter ended Sept. 30. The Vancouver, Wash.-based company said the boost was driven by strong demand and increasing backlogs from its engineered pipeline systems and precast products, according to earnings data released on Tuesday, Nov. 8 All told, Northwest Pipe posted net […]
SMU Price Ranges: Flat-Rolled Steel Falls (Yet Again)
Sheet prices fell across the board again this week as the slow grind lower that we’ve seen since last spring continued to gain speed. Hot-rolled coil prices fell $30 per ton ($1.50 per cwt) week-over-week. Declines in coated products were more pronounced, with cold rolled down $55 per ton, galvanized down $35 per ton, and […]
US Steel Exports Slip 10% in September
US steel export volumes shrunk 10% from August to September, according to the latest US Commerce Department data. 723,000 net tons of steel products exited the country during the month, now the fourth-lowest monthly export rate over the past year and a half. Recall that exports levels in August were at the third-highest monthly rate […]