Weekly US steel mill capability utilization rises to 78%

US raw steel capability utilization increased the week ended April 17, rising to 78% from 77.6% the previous week, the American Iron and Steel Institute reported April 19.

Production increased by 0.5% to 1.77 million st during the week ending April 17, up from 1.761 million st the previous week, according to the data.

Last week’s production was up 42.7% compared to the same week a year earlier, when capability utilization was at 55.4% and production totaled 1.24 million st.

Adjusted year-to-date production through April 17 totaled 26.703 million st, with a capability utilization rate of 77.1%. The total is 0.1% higher than the 26.665 million st produced during the same period last year, when the utilization rate was 73.7%.

Last week’s production totaled 164,000 st in the Northeast, 603,000 st in the Great Lakes region, 183,000 st in the Midwest, 747,000 st in the Southern district and 73,000 st in the Western region.

The tonnage data is estimated, compiled from weekly production data provided by 50% of domestic producers combined with monthly production data for the remainder.

— Ingrid Lexova