According to a release Monday from the American Iron and Steel Institute, in the week ending October 5, 2013, US domestic raw steel production was 1,873,000 net tons while the capability utilization rate was 78.2 percent. Production was 1,709,000 net tons in the week ending October 5, 2012, while the capability utilization then was 68.7 percent. The current week production represents a 9.6 percent increase from the same period in the previous year. Production for the week ending October 5, 2013 is up 1.1 percent from the previous week ending September 28, 2013 when production was 1,852,000 net tons and the rate of capability utilization was 77.3 percent.
Adjusted year-to-date production through October 5, 2013 was 74,026,000 net tons, at a capability utilization rate of 77.2 percent. That is a 3.0 percent decrease from the 76,353,000 net tons during the same period last year, when the capability utilization rate was 76.8 percent.