Trade Cases
Raw Steel Production Edges Up 0.9%: AISI
Written by David Schollaert
June 26, 2023
Raw steel production by US mills moved higher again last week, gaining ground for the second straight week, according to data released by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) on Monday, June 26.
Domestic production stood at 1,758,000 net tons during the week ended June 24, up 0.9% from 1,743,000 tons the previous week. Production is up 1.2% from the same period last year, when output was 1,738,000 tons.
The mill capability utilization rate was 78.1% last week, up from 77.5% a week earlier. Usage is down, however, from the same week of 2022 when the rate was 79.6%.
AISI said that adjusted year-to-date production through June 24 was 42,486,000 tons at a capability utilization rate of 75.8%. This is down 2.9% from the year-ago period when 43,743,000 tons were produced with an overall capability utilization rate of 80.3%.
Production by region for the week ending June 24 is below. (Note: week-over-week changes are in parentheses.)
- Northeast – 140,000 tons (down 2,000 tons)
- Great Lakes – 571,000 tons (up 7,000 tons)
- Midwest – 216,000 tons (up 2,000 tons)
- South – 766,000 tons (up 6,000 tons)
- West – 65,000 tons (up 2,000 tons)
Note: The raw steel production tonnage provided in this report is estimated. The figures are compiled from weekly production tonnages provided by approximately 50% of the domestic production capacity combined with the most recent monthly production data for the remainder. Therefore, this report should be used primarily to assess production trends. The AISI production report “AIS 7,” published monthly and available by subscription, provides a more detailed summary of steel production based on data supplied by companies representing 75% of US production capacity.
By David Schollaert, david@steelmarketupdate.com
David Schollaert
Read more from David SchollaertLatest in Trade Cases
China challenges Canada’s tariffs on steel, aluminum, EVs
China is challenging Canada’s decision to put tariffs on imports of Chinese steel, aluminum, and electric vehicles.
Leibowitz: Harris, Trump don’t talk much about steel and trade – because they (mostly) agree
By most accounts, the issues that are most important for voters in this election are the economy, immigration, and abortion. International trade policy plays a key role in at least two of those three (the economy and immigration). Both presidential candidates recognize that trade and tariffs are an important focus. And “America first” is a rallying point for both candidates.
Commerce launches investigation into imports of coated flat-rolled steel
On Thursday, the Department of Commerce announced it would initiate investigations into coated steel imports from ten countries.
Op-Ed: Despite misclassification games, import data supports surge of Mexican conduit
Barry Zekelman, chairman and CEO of Zekelman Industries, says the import data unquestionably supports the fact that imports of Mexican conduit have been surging into the US market.
Leibowitz: The Mexican steel import “surge”—and what to do about it
US presidential campaigns frequently sport an “air of unreality.” No more so than the 2024 campaign, where superlatives fly around like mosquitos. Steel trade has been a feature of political discourse for at least half a century now. Just last week, it proceeded to a new level of “unreality.” Four senators - Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Mike Braun (R-Ind.) - wrote a “bipartisan” letter attacking Mexican exports of steel to the United States. They framed it as a “surge” in US steel imports from Mexico. To address this “surge,” the Senators urge the imposition of 25% tariffs on all steel imports from Mexico.