US raw steel capability utilization increased to 85% the week ended Aug. 21, the American Iron and Steel Institute reported Aug. 23.
The raw steel capability utilization rate climbed from 84.7% the previous week.
Production increased by 0.4% to 1.877 million st during the week ended Aug. 21, up from 1.869 million st the previous week, according to the data. Production was up 27.2% from the same week a year earlier, when capability utilization was at 65.9% and production totaled 1.476 million st.
Adjusted year-to-date production through Aug. 21 totaled 60.173 million st, with a capability utilization rate of 80.4%. The total was 19.8% higher than the 50.243 million st produced during the same period last year, when the utilization rate was 66.6%.
Last week’s production totaled 149,000 st in the Northeast, 636,000 st in the Great Lakes region, 201,000 st in the Midwest, 815,000 st in the Southern district and 76,000 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
