Market Data
February 2, 2026
AISI: Raw steel output slips
Written by Brett Linton
After climbing to a four-month high in mid-January, the amount of raw steel produced by US mills eased last week, according to the latest figures released by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). Although down, production remains strong compared to the multi-month lows seen at the end of the year.
Domestic production was estimated at 1,758,000 short tons (st) of raw steel in the week ending Jan. 31, down 20,000 st, or 1.1%, from the previous week (Figure 1).
Last week’s production was 0.5% above the year-to-date (YTD) weekly average of 1,750,000 st, and 3.4% higher than the same week one year prior. YTD production now totals 7,774,000 st, up 3.4% from the same period last year.
The mill capability utilization rate was 76.0% last week. This is down from both the previous week (76.9%) and the same week last year (76.3%). Capability utilization has averaged 76.0% YTD.
Raw production declined week over week (w/w) in four of the five AISI defined regions:
- Northeast – 119,000 st (down 4,000 st)
- Great Lakes – 518,000 st (up 4,000 st)
- Midwest – 257,000 st (down 9,000 st)
- South – 799,000 st (down 5,000 st)
- West – 65,000 st (down 6,000 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.
