Steel output in the US stays level

Steel output in the United States has remained level in the first week of March, according to figures maintained by the Washington-based American Iron & Steel Institute (AISI).

In the week ending March 5, 1.76 million net tons of steel were produced in the U.S., with the mill capability utilization rate (capacity rate) at exactly 80 percent. The tonnage figures is up 0.4 percent from the previous week ending Feb. 26, when production was 1.75 million net tons and the capacity rate was 79.7 percent.

Output also looks similar to what was happening in the steel industry in America one year ago. Production was 1.76 million net tons in the week ending March 5, 2021, while the mill capacity rate at that time was 77.7 percent. The current week's production represents a 0.1 percent increase from the same period one year ago.

Year-to-date production through March 5, mills in the U.S. have churned out more than 16.3 million tons, operating at an average capacity rate of 81.1 percent. That is up 2.6 percent from the 15.9 million tons made during the same period last year, when the capacity rate was 76.8 percent.

Regionally in the most recently completed week, mills in the AISI Southern district made 743,000 tons of steel, with the Great Lakes district finishing second by producing 608,000 tons. In the other districts, mills in the AISI Midwest region made 176,000 tons; those in the Northeast made 166,000 tons; and mills in the Western region lagged with 69,0000 tons.