Steel Mills
AISI: Raw steel production drops to multi-month low
Written by Brett Linton
October 14, 2025
US raw steel output declined last week for the second consecutive week, according to the latest production figures from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). Prior to October, raw production had been historically strong for more than four months.
Domestic mills produced an estimated 1,722,000 short tons (st) of raw steel in the week ending Oct. 11 (Figure 1). Output eased by 27,000 st, or 1.5%, from the previous week, falling to the lowest weekly rate recorded since May.
Last week’s production was 0.1% below the year-to-date (YTD) weekly average of 1,724,000 st, but 8.4% higher than the same week one year prior. YTD production now stands at 70,220,000 st, up 2.5% from the same period last year.
The mill capability utilization rate was 76.0% last week, down from 77.2% the week prior but above the 71.6% rate recorded the same week last year. Capability utilization has averaged 77.0% year-to-date.
Raw production decreased week over week (w/w) in four of the five regions defined by AISI:
- Northeast – 106,000 st (up 11,000 st)
- Great Lakes – 558,000 st (down 3,000 st)
- Midwest – 222,000 st (down 17,000 st)
- South – 773,000 st (down 16,000 st)
- West – 63,000 st (down 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.
Brett Linton
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