Features

AISI: Raw steel production eases from previous week's high
Written by Brett Linton
April 15, 2024
Domestic raw steel output slipped from last week’s multi-month high, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).
Total steel output in the US is estimated to have been 1,726,000 short tons (st) in the week ending April 13, down 1.1% from the week prior. Last week’s production is down 2.4% compared to the same week one year prior when production totaled 1,769,000 st.
The mill capability utilization rate was 77.7% last week, down from both the week prior (78.6%) and this time one year ago (78.6%).
Year-to-date production through mid-April was 25,223,000 st at a capability utilization rate of 76.4%. Annual production is down 2.4% from the same time frame last year, when 25,853,000 st were produced at a capability utilization rate of 77.9%.
Production by region is shown below, with the week-over-week changes shown in parentheses:
- Northeast – 141,000 st (up 2,000 st)
- Great Lakes – 573,000 st (down 15,000 st)
- Midwest – 211,000 st (up 13,000 st)
- South – 734,000 st (down 21,000 st)
- West – 67,000 st (up 2,000 st)
Editor’s note: The raw steel production tonnage provided in this report is estimated. The figures are compiled from weekly production tonnage 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.

Brett Linton
Read more from Brett LintonLatest in Features

SMU Community Chat replay now available
The latest SMU Community Chat webinar reply featuring Timna Tanners, managing director of equity research for Wolfe Research, is now available on our website to all members. After logging in at steelmarketupdate.com, visit the community tab and look under the “previous webinars” section of the dropdown menu. All past Community Chat webinars are also available under that selection. If […]

SMU Community Chat: June 25 With AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson
We’ll have a lot to talk about because construction is at the intersection of so many of today’s hot-button issues. The main question: Will construction thrive or dive in the rest of ’25? (Nothing wrong with a rhyme, even in serious times.)

Former Nucor CEO David ‘Dave’ Aycock passes at age 94
Steel industry veteran David ‘Dave’ Aycock died on Saturday at the age of 94.

Apparent steel supply edged lower in April, remains strong
The amount of finished steel that entered the US market in April declined 3% from March but remained at elevated levels, according to SMU’s analysis of Department of Commerce and American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) data.

Final Thoughts
Even before the news about Mexico, I didn’t want to overstate the magnitude of the change in momentum. As far as we could tell, there hadn’t been a frenzy of new ordering following President Trump’s announcement of 50% Section 232 tariffs. But higher tariffs had unquestionably raised prices for imports, which typically provide the floor for domestic pricing. We’d heard, for example, that prices below $800 per short ton for hot-rolled (HR) coil were gone from the domestic market – even for larger buyers.