Steel Markets
AISI: Raw steel output slips in all regions
Written by Laura Miller
December 27, 2023
The latest American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) production figures show domestic steel output slipping the week before the Christmas holiday.
Domestic mills produced an estimated 1,693,000 net tons of steel during the week ended Dec. 23, AISI said. Output was down 1.2% from the previous week but was 7.4% higher than the same week of 2022.
US mills’ overall capability utilization rate was 73.7% for the week compared to 74.6% the week prior and 70.6% in the year-ago period.
AISI calculated adjusted year-to-date production to be 87,047,000 tons, with mills operating at 75.4% of capabilities. Compared to the same period in 2022, output was higher by 94,000 tons, or 0.1%, and the mill capability utilization rate was 77.5%.
Production by region is shown below, with the week-over-week changes shown in parentheses:
- Northeast – 130,000 tons (down 3,000 tons)
- Great Lakes – 551,000 tons (down 9,000 tons)
- Midwest – 185,000 tons (down 2,000 tons)
- South – 760,000 tons (down 4,000 tons)
- West – 67,000 tons (down 3,000 tons)
Laura Miller
Read more from Laura MillerLatest in Steel Markets
President Trump intends to set additional steel tariffs
While boarding Airforce One on Friday, US President Donald Trump stated that he would be setting more steel tariffs and putting ~100% tariffs on semiconductors and chips.
USS, government officials give update on Clairton Coke Works incident
U.S. Steel, Allegheny County executive Sara Innamorato, and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro clarified details from early reports about the Clairton Coke Works facility explosion just one day earlier.
Hot-rolled spot market conditions linger, prices slip
Market participants said they have high hopes that the stable hot-rolled spot market will improve as the year rolls on.
Discontentment brews in plate market with flat, status-quo pricing
Sources in the carbon and alloy steel plate market said they are less discouraged by market uncertainty resulting from tariffs or foreign relations, but are instead, eager to see disruption to the flat pricing environment.
Dodge Momentum Index surges in July
The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI) jumped 20.8% in July and is now up 27% year-to-date, according to the latest data released by Dodge Construction Network.