US raw steel production down from last week and year

According to the American Iron and Steel Institute, in the week ending February 21, 2015, domestic raw steel production was 1,716,000 net tons while the capability utilization rate was 72.6 percent. Production was 1,824,000 net tons in the week ending February 21, 2014, while the capability utilization then was 75.8 percent. The current week production represents a 5.9 percent decrease from the same period in the previous year. Production for the week ending February 21, 2015 is down 2.5 percent from the previous week ending February 14, 2015 when production was 1,760,000 net tons and the rate of capability utilization was 74.8 percent.

Adjusted year-to-date production through February 21, 2015 was 13,353,000 net tons, at a capability utilization rate of 76.0 percent. That is down 1.5 percent from the 13,551,000 net tons during the same period last year, when the capability utilization rate was 75.8 percent.

Broken down by districts, here's production for the week ending February 21, 2015 in thousands of net tons: North East: 214; Great Lakes: 652; Midwest: 216; Southern: 545 and Western: 89 for a total of 1,716.