Steel Mills

AISI: Output remains low as raw steel production slips
Written by Brett Linton
December 2, 2024
The volume of raw steel produced by US mills slipped last week, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). Weekly production has hovered in this territory for the last two months and is at the sixth lowest rate of this year.
Total raw steel output was estimated at 1,638,000 short tons (st) in the week ending Nov. 30. Mill production declined by 17,000 st, or 1.0%, from the previous week. Recall that raw production fell to a 20-month low of 1,606,000 st in mid-October (Figure 1).

Production last week was 3.9% lower than the year-to-date weekly average of 1,705,000 st. It is 2.9% less than the same week last year, when mill output totaled 1,687,000 st.
Last week’s mill capability utilization rate was 73.8%. That’s down from the week prior (74.5%) but up from this time last year (73.4%).
Year-to-date production now totals 80,517,000 st at a capability utilization rate of 75.8%. This is 2.3% less than the same period of last year, when 82,422,000 st had been produced at a capability utilization rate of 76.1%.
Weekly production by region is as follows (weekly changes shown in parentheses):
- Northeast – 127,000 st (up 2,000 st)
- Great Lakes – 544,000 st (down 26,000 st)
- Midwest – 227,000 st (up 14,000 st)
- South – 690,000 st (down 4,000 st).
- West – 50,000 st (down 3,000 st)
Editor’s note: The raw steel production tonnage provided in this report is estimated and should be used primarily to assess production trends. The monthly AISI “AIS 7” report is available by subscription and provides a more detailed summary of domestic steel production.

Brett Linton
Read more from Brett LintonLatest in Steel Mills

Atlas completes Evraz NA deal, renames firm, and hires former USS exec as CEO
Atlas Holdings has completed its acquisition of Evraz North America (Evraz NA) and its subsidiaries.

ArcelorMittal: As tariffs slow global growth, Calvert could be a bright spot
ArcelorMittal expects less demand growth across most of the markets it operates in, including the US, because of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. But the Luxembourg-based steelmaker also thinks it stands to benefit from an increasingly regionalized world thanks to investments like the new EAF at its mill in Calvert, Ala.

Ternium posts solid Q2, expects further shipment growth
Latin American steel producer Ternium delivered a solid performance in the second quarter of 2025. Performance was driven primarily by higher realized steel prices in Mexico, even as shipment volumes declined slightly across its regional portfolio.

Algoma swings to loss on ‘unprecedented disruptions’ and trade barriers
Canada’s Algoma Steel saw a sharp loss in the second quarter amid a continued challenging market environment and “tariff uncertainties.”

Nucor eyes long-term gains amid strong demand and trade enforcement
Resilient demand across its steel product lines, combined with the continued ramp-up of key expansion projects, drove Nucor’s improved financial results and record-setting performance in the second quarter. That’s according to company executives speaking on an earnings conference call on Tuesday.