Market Data
January 20, 2026
AISI: Raw steel production rises 0.2%
Written by Brett Linton
The volume of raw steel produced by US mills grew last week, holding on to the gains seen the prior week, according to the latest figures released by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).
Domestic mill production was estimated at 1,756,000 short tons (st) of raw steel in the week ending Jan. 17, up 4,000 st (0.2%) from the previous week (Figure 1). Following the multi-month lows seen around the end of the year, production is up to an eight-week high and stands among one of the stronger levels seen in recent months.
Last week’s production was 1.1% above the year-to-date (YTD) weekly average of 1,737,000 st, and 3.3% higher than the same week one year prior. YTD production now stands at 4,238,000 st, up 2.9% from the same period last year.
The mill capability utilization rate was 75.9% last week. This is higher than the previous week (75.7%), but below the same week last year (76.3%). Capability utilization has averaged 75.6% YTD.
Raw production increased week over week (w/w) in three of the five AISI defined regions:
- Northeast – 121,000 st (down 2,000 st)
- Great Lakes – 504,000 st (up 2,000 st)
- Midwest – 277,000 st (up 5,000 st)
- South – 773,000 st (up 3,000 st)
- West – 81,000 st (down 4,000 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.
