Steel output enjoying September spurt

Steel production in the U.S. rises by 2 percent or more weekly in the first two weeks of September.

steel rebar
Steel output in the United States has enjoyed two weeks of growth in the first half of September.
Photo provided by Dreamstime.

After several weeks of 1 percent or so rises in output, steel production in the United States has enjoyed a relative growth spurt in September.

Domestic steel mills started September with output of 1.43 million tons the week ending Sept. 5, which marked a 3.3 percent increase from the previous week.

That has been followed by a 2.2 percent rise in output for the week ending Sept. 12, when nearly 1.46 million tons of steel were produced.

The rising domestic output, combined with early September buying from overseas mills, helped lift ferrous scrap prices by some $30 to $40 per ton in the early September buying period as measured by Midwest Index prices published by Fastmarkets AMM.

Throughout the summer, the steel industry in the U.S. did not ramp up its furnaces in anticipation of a rebound, instead waiting for a return of orders. Even after a good two-week run, output in the week ending Sept. 12 remains 19 percent lower compared with the same week in the previous year.

Year-to-date production through Sept. 12 sits at nearly 55 million tons, which is 20.1 percent less steel than was made in the same time frame in 2019.

In better news for the sector, the new weekly rebounds have boosted the mill capacity rate to 65.1 percent. That is a considerable improvement from the 51.1 percent capacity rate the week ending May 2—the COVID-19-related low point for the U.S. steel sector.

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An elevated cab is one of several features improving operational efficiency at the Macon County Solid Waste Management agency in North Carolina. When it comes to waste management, efficiency, safety and reliability are priorities driving decisions from day one, according to staff members of the Macon County Solid Waste Management Department in western North Carolina. The agency operates a recycling plant in a facility originally designed to bale incoming materials. More recently, the building has undergone significant transformations centered around one machine: a SENNEBOGEN telehandler (telescopic handler).

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An elevated cab is one of several features improving operational efficiency at the Macon County Solid Waste Management agency in North Carolina. When it comes to waste management, efficiency, safety and reliability are priorities driving decisions from day one, according to staff members of the Macon County Solid Waste Management Department in western North Carolina. The agency operates a recycling plant in a facility originally designed to bale incoming materials. More recently, the building has undergone significant transformations centered around one machine: a SENNEBOGEN telehandler (telescopic handler).

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SENNEBOGEN 340G telehandler improves the view in Macon County, NC

An elevated cab is one of several features improving operational efficiency at the Macon County Solid Waste Management agency in North Carolina. When it comes to waste management, efficiency, safety and reliability are priorities driving decisions from day one, according to staff members of the Macon County Solid Waste Management Department in western North Carolina. The agency operates a recycling plant in a facility originally designed to bale incoming materials. More recently, the building has undergone significant transformations centered around one machine: a SENNEBOGEN telehandler (telescopic handler).

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SENNEBOGEN 340G telehandler improves the view in Macon County, NC

An elevated cab is one of several features improving operational efficiency at the Macon County Solid Waste Management agency in North Carolina. When it comes to waste management, efficiency, safety and reliability are priorities driving decisions from day one, according to staff members of the Macon County Solid Waste Management Department in western North Carolina. The agency operates a recycling plant in a facility originally designed to bale incoming materials. More recently, the building has undergone significant transformations centered around one machine: a SENNEBOGEN telehandler (telescopic handler).

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An elevated cab is one of several features improving operational efficiency at the Macon County Solid Waste Management agency in North Carolina. When it comes to waste management, efficiency, safety and reliability are priorities driving decisions from day one, according to staff members of the Macon County Solid Waste Management Department in western North Carolina. The agency operates a recycling plant in a facility originally designed to bale incoming materials. More recently, the building has undergone significant transformations centered around one machine: a SENNEBOGEN telehandler (telescopic handler).

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