US domestic crude steel output up 6.6%-Jan 29, 2005
US steel mills produced 2.05 million net tons of crude steel in the week ending January 29, 2005, representing a capacity utilization rate of 92.9%. The same period in 2004 saw crude steel production of 1.93 million net tons at a capacity utilization rate of 85.4%. Production for the final week of January 2005 indicated a 6.6% increase compared to the same period last year. Production for the week ending January 29, 2005, rose 0.6% from the previous week, when production was 2.04 million net tons and the capacity utilization rate was 92.3%. Moreover, the adjusted year-to-date production through January 29, 2005, reached 8.53 million net tons at a capacity utilization rate of 90.9%. This quantity was 6.1% higher than the 8.04 million net tons produced in the same period of 2004, when the capacity utilization rate was 86%.