US raw steel production remained steady last week as gains in four regions, particularly the South, offset an 8.4% cut in the Great Lakes region, showed American Iron and Steel Institute data released Monday.
In the week that ended Saturday, US mills produced 1.656 million st, up 0.4% than 1.65 million st from the week before. Capability utilization edged up to 70.8% from 70.6%.
Compared with the same week a year ago, US mill production ticked up 0.4% last week from 1.649 mt, when mills operated at 69.8%.
Mills in the Great Lakes cut production 8.4% to 624,000 st from 681,000 st, a reduction largely offset by a 10.6% boost in Southern mill production to 552,000 st from 499,000 st.
Production at Midwest mills also increased 3.8% to 191,000 st from 184,000 st. Western mills boost production 2.4% to 85,000 st from 83,000 st. Northeast mills produced 1,000 st or 0.5% more steel last week, bringing its total to 204,000 st.
Year-to-date steel production is down 2.8%. The average capability utilization this year has been 70.4%, down from 71.5% in the year-ago period. AISI determines its weekly raw steel production data based on weekly data from 50% of the domestic industry and estimates the rest using monthly production data.
