Steel Products Prices North America
Weekly Steel Production Sees Another Small Gain
Written by David Schollaert
November 24, 2020
Weekly raw steel production by U.S. mills totaled 1,582,000 net tons in the week ending Nov. 21. The operating rate was a fraction higher than the prior week at 71.5 percent. Despite the steady increase in production through much of 2020, the latest week’s output remains 13.2 percent behind the same week last year when the operating rate was 78.8 percent, reported the American Iron and Steel Institute.
Adjusted year-to-date production through Nov. 21 totaled 70,541,000 net tons, at an average utilization rate of 67.0 percent. That is down 18.8 percent from the same period last year, when the utilization rate was 80.0 percent, AISI said.
Following is production by district for the Nov. 21 week: North East: 136,000 net tons; Great Lakes, 541,000 net tons; Midwest, 170,000 net tons; South, 665,000 net tons; and West, 70,000 net tons for a total of 1,582,000 and a net increase of 2,000 tons. The bright spot this past week was the Southern region, which saw an increase of 38,000 net tons week on week. The remaining four regions were down, however, by a combined 36,000 net tons compared with the week prior.
Note: 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. Capability for fourth-quarter 2020 is approximately 29.1 million tons, compared to 30.4 million tons for the same period last year and 29.4 million tons for the second quarter of 2020.
David Schollaert
Read more from David SchollaertLatest 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 […]