According to data released from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), domestic raw steel
production rose to 2.074 million net tons for the week ended April 8, 2006. This is an increase from the week ended April 1, 2006, in which 2.051 million net tons were produced, and an increase from the week ended April 8, 2005, in which 2.043 million net tons were produced. The areas with the highest
production activity, both last week and the week previous, were the Southern US, which produced 669,000 net tons during the week ended April 8, 2006, and the Indiana/Chicago area, which produced 553,000 net tons the same week. Overall capability utilization for the week ended April 8, 2006 was 87.1 percent, up from 86.1 percent the previous week, but down from the 89.2 percent capability utilization attained during the same week last year. According to AISI, steel producing capability for the second quarter of 2006 is approximately 31.1 million net tons, compared to 29.8 million tons capability in the second quarter of 2005.