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    Weekly Raw Steel Production Slips Again

    Written by David Schollaert


    Raw steel production by U.S. mills totaled 1,796,000 net tons in the week ending Jan. 29, slipping for the second straight week, reported the American Iron and Steel Institute.

    Domestic output was down 1.6% versus the prior week, but was still 3.5% higher than the same year-ago period when production was 1,736,000 net tons. Mill capacity utilization last week averaged 81.6%, a slim 0.3 percentage point decline from the prior week yet still 5.0 percentage points higher than in the same period one year ago.

    David Schollaert

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