US domestic crude steel output up slightly-Apr 16, 2005
US steel mills produced 2.09 million net tons of crude steel in the week ending April 16, 2005, representing a capacity utilization rate of 91.1%. The same period in 2004 saw crude steel production of 2.08 million net tons at a capacity utilization rate of 93.5%. Production for the third week of April 2005 indicated a 0.1% increase compared to the same period last year. Production for the week ending April 16, 2005, rose 10.5% from the previous week, when production was 1.89 million net tons and the capacity utilization rate was 83.3%. Moreover, the adjusted year-to-date production through April 16, 2005, reached 30.77 million net tons at a capacity utilization rate of 88.2%. This quantity was 0.2% lower than the 30.97 million net tons produced in the same period of 2004, when the capacity utilization rate was 90.8%.