US raw steel production decreases

For the week ending Nov. 23, U.S. raw steel production totaled 1.86 million net tons, for a capability utilization rate of 80.4 percent, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), Washington. Production for the week ending Nov. 23, 2018, production was 1.9 million net tons, while capability utilization stood at 81.2 percent. The current week production represents a 2.2 percent decrease from the same period in the previous year, AISI says.

Production for the week ending Nov. 23, 2019, decreased by 0.8 percent from the previous week ending Nov. 16. During that week, production was 1.88 million net tons and the rate of capability utilization was 81.1 percent.

Adjusted year-to-date production through Nov. 23 was 87.2 million net tons, at a capability utilization rate of 80.3 percent, AISI notes, for a 2.2 percent increase from the 85.3 million net tons produced during the same period last year, when the capability utilization rate was 78.1 percent.

At 716,000 net tons, the southern district led production for the week ended Nov. 23. Next came the Great Lakes district, which produced 673,000 net tons; the Northeast, which produced 203,000 net tons; and the western district, which produced 76,000 net tons of steel.

The production tonnages provided in this report are estimated, AISI says, adding that the figures are compiled from weekly production tonnage provided 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 production report “AIS 7,” which is published monthly and available by subscription, provides a more detailed summary of steel production based on data supplied by companies representing 75 percent of U.S. production capacity.