AISI: Raw steel production ticks back down

Domestic mills produced an estimated 1,749,000 short tons (st) of raw steel for the week ending Oct. 4 (Figure 1). Output ticked down by 21,000 st, or 1.2%, from the previous week. It now sits just 51,000 st, or 2.8%, shy of the three-and-a-half-year high recorded in early August.

Last week’s production was 1.4% above the year-to-date (YTD) weekly average of 1,724,000 st and 7.4% higher than the same week in 2024. YTD production now totals 68,498,000 st, 2.3% higher than the same period last year.

The mill capability utilization rate was 77.2% last week, lower than the previous week (78.1%) and the same week last year (73.3%). Across the first nine months of this year, capability utilization has averaged 76.2%.

Raw steel production decreased week over week (w/w) in three of the five regions defined by AISI, including in the largest two – the Great Lakes and the South. It ticked higher in the Midwest and the West:

• Northeast – 95,000 st (-6,000 st)
• Great Lakes – 561,000 st (-7,000 st)
• Midwest – 239,000 st (+6,000 st)
• South – 789,000 st (-16,000 st)
• West – 65,000 st (+2,000 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.