According to Nucor CEO Dan DiMicco, steel production in the US may rise by as much as one third this year. DiMicco, who was recently appointed as chairman of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), indicated in a Sunday conference call that things are beginning to look more positive as the economy is slowly starting to recover, although it will likely take "several more years" to see demand raise to levels seen prior to 2008.
At current, steel production capacity is at 73 percent, which reflects a 78 percent year-on-year increase from production levels during the same time period last year.