Steel Products

AISI: Raw steel output edges lower again

January 29, 2024

Domestic production of raw steel moved down marginally last week, according to the most recent data from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). The decline was the third straight dip in as many weeks.

Steel output in the US totaled an estimated 1,680,000 short tons (st) in the week ended Jan. 27. That’s down just 0.1% from the previous week and from the same week last year when production stood at 1,682,000 st.

The mill capability utilization rate was 75.6% in the week ended Jan. 27, down from 75.7% a week earlier and off slightly from 75.9% a year ago.

Production by region is shown below, with the week-over-week changes shown in parentheses:

Northeast – 129,000 st (down 3,000 st)
Great Lakes – 559,000 st (up 16,000 st)
Midwest – 185,000 st (down 3,000 st)
South – 736,000 st (down 18,000 st)
West – 71,000 st (up 6,000 st)

Editor’s note: The raw steel production tonnages provided in this report are estimated. The figures are compiled from weekly production data 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 U.S. production capacity.

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.