Features
AISI: Raw steel production ticks back up
Written by Brett Linton
September 29, 2025
US raw steel output increased last week following two consecutive weekly declines, according to the latest production data released by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). Raw production has stayed historically strong over the past four months an has held near multi-year highs since June.
Domestic mills produced an estimated 1,770,000 short tons (st) of raw steel for the week ending Sept. 27 (Figure 1). Output climbed by 16,000 st, or 0.9%, from the previous week. It now sits just 30,000 st, or 1.7%, shy of the three-and-a-half-year high recorded in early August.
Last week’s production was 2.7% above the year-to-date (YTD) weekly average of 1,723,000 st and 6.8% higher than the same week a year earlier. YTD production now totals 66,749,000 st, 2.2% higher than the same time period of 2024.
The mill capability utilization rate was 78.1% last week, higher than the previous week (77.4%) and the same week last year (74.6%). Across the first nine months of this year, capability utilization has averaged 77.1%.
Raw production increased week over week (w/w) in the largest two of the five regions defined by AISI – the Great Lakes and the South. It decreased in the other three – the Northeast, the Midwest, and the West:
- Northeast – 101,000 st (down 13,000 st)
- Great Lakes – 568,000 st (up 20,000 st)
- Midwest – 233,000 st (down 6,000 st)
- South – 805,000 st (up 25,000 st)
- West – 63,000 st (down 10,000 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 graphic included in this report shows unadjusted weekly data. The monthly AISI “AIS 7” report is available by subscription and provides a more detailed summary of domestic steel production.
Brett Linton
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