• Skip to main content

    Market Segment

    AISI: Raw steel production edges back up

    Written by David Schollaert


    Domestic raw steel production recovered last week, after slipping the week prior, according to the latest American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) data. Weekly production remains at some of the lowest levels recorded this year.

    US mills produced an estimated 1,649,000 short tons (st) of raw steel in the week ending Nov. 9. Output edged back up by 20,000 st, or 1.2%, from the prior week, with all regions except one seeing increases. Recall that in mid-October, production fell to a 20-month low of 1,606,000 st (see Figure 1).

    David Schollaert

    Read more from David Schollaert

    Latest in Market Segment

    Nucor increases spot HR coil by $15/ton

    Nucor said on Monday, Oct. 26, that its consumer spot price (CSP) for hot-rolled (HR) coil will be $1,270 per short ton (st) this week, up $15/st from the prior week. The CSP for HR coil from California Steel Industries (CSI) on the West Coast will be $1,340/st, up $20/st from last week. Nucor continues to offer lead times of three to five weeks, according to its letter to customers. You can track mill price announcements on our website. Steel Market Update (SMU) published a weekly price assessment on Tuesday, Oct. 20, showing HR coil prices averaging $1,290/st, up $10/st from the previous week. We will update our prices on the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 27.

    Leibowitz: The dilemmas facing primary aluminum and BOF steel

    Earlier this month, retired General David Petraeus, whose resume is as impressive as any I’ve seen, held a fireside chat at the National Press Club with Century Aluminum CEO Jesse Gary and Mark Duffy, the president and CEO of the American Primary Aluminum Association. During that widely reported chat, retired Gen. Petraeus stated that the US was not militarily ready for a conflict. Because the event concentrated on aluminum, and primary aluminum at that, his remarks hit harder than I think the full facts warrant.

    Pacific Steel’s Mojave Micro Mill to bring 700 jobs to California

    Steel production is set to return to California next year. Pacific Steel Group broke ground on its Mojave Micro Mill in Kern County, just outside Los Angeles, earlier this year. It marked what California Governor Gavin Newsom recently touted as the first steel mill to break ground in the state in more than 50 years. The plant is scheduled to begin commissioning in the first quarter of 2027, and the project is expected to create ~700 jobs. Before Pacific Steel, the last mill to break ground in California was the Kaiser Steel plant in Fontana, 50 miles outside of Hollywood. The plant was built to supply the World War II effort and began operating in 1942. It eventually shut down in 1983. Today, the site is home to California Steel Industries (CSI), a joint venture between Nucor and JFE Steel. CSI is a reroller and does not melt its own steel.

    Reliance says caution around foreign buys makes import flood unlikely

    Reliance Inc. is keeping a close eye on inventory as extended lead times, elevated prices, and tight material availability complicate purchasing decisions. Executives at the Phoenix-based service center said on Thursday's third-quarter earnings call that inventory levels were appropriate. The company is reducing excess inventory and focusing on inventory turns. Chief Financial Officer Arthur Ajemyan said inventory turns improved 10% year over year.

    Global raw steel output down again in September

    Global raw steel production slowed for the fourth straight month in September, according to the latest figures from the World Steel Association (worldsteel). After falling 3.4% month over month (m/m) in August, the total volume of raw steel produced around the globe ticked down 1.2% to an estimated 142.4 million metric tons (mt) in September. Output was down just 0.1% year over year (y/y). On a 12-month moving average (12MMA) basis, annual production has averaged 149.3 million mt per month across the past year. This was down 1.6% y/y and was the lowest 12MMA since May (Figure 1). Before September 2025, annual output had generally hovered between 152 million mt and 154 million mt for over three years, similar to pre-pandemic levels.