Steel Products Prices North America
Weekly Steel Production Resumes Uptrend
Written by David Schollaert
December 8, 2020
Weekly raw steel production by U.S. mills totaled 1,579,000 net tons in the week ending Dec. 5. As expected, production increased by 1.2 percent after edging off slightly the week prior due to the Thanksgiving holiday break. The operating rate as a result rose to 71.4 percent, up from 70.6 percent the prior week. Even though present mill utilization is down 13.1 percent compared with year-ago levels, based on the way the American Iron and Steel Institutes calculates the data including idled capacity, most flat rolled mills actually are running full out.
Adjusted year-to-date production through Dec. 5 was 73,765,000 net tons, at an average utilization rate of 67.2 percent. That is down 18.3 percent from the same period last year, when the utilization rate was 80.0 percent, AISI said.
Following is production by district for the Dec. 5 week: North East: 144,000 net tons; Great Lakes, 555,000 net tons; Midwest, 169,000 net tons; South, 641,000 net tons; and West, 70,000 net tons for a total of 1,579,000. The Southern region was the only one to report a decreased output compared to the week prior. The other four regions saw noticeable increases week-on-week.
Note: The raw steel production tonnage provided in this report is estimated. The figures are compiled from weekly production tonnage from 50 percent of the domestic producers combined with monthly production data for the remainder. Therefore, this report should be used primarily to assess production trends. The AISI monthly production report provides a more detailed summary of steel production based on data supplied by companies representing 75 percent of U.S. production capacity. Capability for fourth-quarter 2020 is approximately 29.1 million tons, compared to 30.4 million tons for the same period last year and 29.4 million tons for the second quarter of 2020.
David Schollaert
Read more from David SchollaertLatest in Steel Products Prices North America
US HR prices rebound, no longer near parity with imports
US hot-rolled coil and offshore hot band moved further away from parity this week as stateside prices have begun to move higher in response to mill increases.
Galvanized buyers report solid demand, balanced inventories
Galvanized buyers reported solid demand and balanced inventories this week and were anticipating the sheet price increase announced by Cleveland-Cliffs on Wednesday.
HRC vs. CRC price spread jumps in second week of new year
The spread between cold-rolled coil (CRC) and hot-rolled coil (HRC) prices jumped during the week of Jan. 8 as cold rolled tags continued to rise while hot rolled tags held steady.
Cliffs increases sheet prices again, seeks $1,150/ton HRC
Cleveland-Cliffs is now targeting base prices of $1,150 per ton for hot-rolled coil (HRC), according to a press release on Wednesday morning, Jan. 3.
Cliffs moves sheet prices higher, seeks $1,100/ton HRC
Cleveland-Cliffs is now targeting base prices of $1,100 per ton ($55 per cwt) for hot-rolled coil (HRC).