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    August 9, 2022

    Weekly Raw Steel Production Eases Again

    Written by David Schollaert

    Raw steel production by US mills slipped for a second straight week, easing to a 17-month low of 1,723,000 net tons in the week ending Aug. 6.  This is the lowest weekly production figure reported since early February 2021. Domestic capacity utilization shrank lower to a 15-month low of 78.2%, marking the fourth week below 80%, according to the latest data from the American Iron and Steel Institute.

    US output was down 0.2% versus the week prior and down 7.8% versus the same year-ago period when production was 1,869,000 net tons. Mill capacity utilization last week was 0.2 percentage points below the prior week and 6.5 percentage points below the same period one year ago when utilization was 84.7%.

    David Schollaert

    David Schollaert is deputy editor-in-chief for Steel Market Update. David joined SMU after more than a decade in the metals and mining industry in a myriad of different roles. Much of his early experience and expertise were within the coverage and analysis of steel-making raw materials and served previously as senior editor of the CRU Prices Service. Most recently, however, before his return to market analysis, David held roles as a metals buyer and an operations manager for raw material suppliers. He can be contacted at david@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-720-1008.

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