Long Products
July 20, 2026
AISI: Domestic mill production eases to 3-month low
Written by Brett Linton
Total US raw steel mill output declined last week to the lowest rate seen since April, according to the latest American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) figures. Production has declined in five of the last six weeks, yet remains historically strong.
Raw steel production was estimated at 1,830,000 short tons (st) in the week ending July 18, down 10,000 st, or 0.5%, from the prior week (Figure 1). Recall that production had recently risen to a six-year high of 1,898,000 st in May.
Last week’s production was 0.5% above the year-to-date (YTD) weekly average of 1,820,000 st, and 3.3% higher than the same week one year ago. YTD production now stands at 51,782,000 st, 5.8% higher than the same period of 2025.
The latest mill capability utilization rate was 79.3%, down from the previous week (79.7%) but higher than the same week of last year (78.2%). The utilization rate had touched a four-year high of 82.2% in May and has averaged 78.8% YTD.
Raw production declined week over week (w/w) in three of the five AISI-defined regions:
- Northeast – 124,000 st (down 11,000 st)
- Great Lakes – 483,000 st (down 8,000 st)
- Midwest – 324,000 st (up 11,000 st)
- South – 829,000 st (down 4,000 st)
- West – 70,000 st (up 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.
