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    Weekly Raw Steel Production Slips Again

    Written by David Schollaert


    Weekly domestic raw steel production slipped for the second straight week. Production by U.S. mills was 1,866,000 net tons while the average utilization rate was 84.5% in the week ending Sept. 4, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).

    Weekly output dipped by 0.4% compared to the week prior when production was 1,873,000 net tons and average utilization was 84.9%. Last week’s production total represents a 23.5% increase from year-ago levels, when output was just 1,511,000 net tons and utilization was 67.4% because of the pandemic.

    David Schollaert

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    Mills seek more scrap after lower prices fail to attract tons

    Several mills that bought October scrap early last week are still asking for additional supplies, scrap market participants said. The reason: the mills' initial prices did not attract enough of the raw material, they said. A trading source based in northern Ohio said three mills have contacted his firm seeking offers for additional tons. He said the mills asked for offers even if prices were higher than their original buys last week.

    Nucor increases spot HR to $1,240/ton

    Nucor said on Monday, Oct. 12, that its consumer spot price (CSP) for hot-rolled (HR) coil will be $1,240 per short ton (st) this week, a $10/st increase from a week earlier. The CSP for HR coil from California Steel Industries (CSI) on the West Coast will be $1,305/st, up $15/st from the prior week. Nucor is still offering lead times of three to five weeks, according to the letter to customers. You can track mill price announcements on our website. Steel Market Update (SMU) published a weekly price assessment on Tuesday, Oct. 6, showing HR coil prices averaging $1,270/st, up $10/st from the previous week. We will update our prices on the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 13.