Long Products
April 28, 2026
AISI: Raw steel production holds near multi-year high
Written by Brett Linton
The volume of raw steel produced by US mills eased last week but remains within earshot of the multi-year high set one week prior, according to recently released figures by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).
Domestic raw steel production was estimated at 1,830,000 short tons (st) in the week ending April 25, down 18,000 st or 1.0% from the prior week (Figure 1). This decline comes just one week after output climbed to 1,848,000 st, the highest weekly rate recorded since November 2021.
Last week’s production was 2.1% above the year-to-date (YTD) weekly average of 1,792,000 st, and 8.7% higher than the same week one year ago. YTD production now totals 29,549,000 st, 6.0% higher than the same period of 2025.
The mill capability utilization rate was 79.3% last week. This is down from the previous week (80.0%), but up compared to the same week one year prior (75.0%). Capability utilization has averaged 77.8% YTD.
Raw production decreased week over week (w/w) in four of the five AISI-defined regions:
- Northeast – 131,000 st (down 2,000 st)
- Great Lakes – 510,000 st (down 15,000 st)
- Midwest – 302,000 st (up 7,000 st)
- South – 821,000 st (down 2,000 st)
- West – 66,000 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.
