US raw steel production rose 1.2 percent in the week that ended on February 26 compared to the previous week. In the previous week, US raw steel production had increased 0.6 percent compared to the week before.
Total raw steel production in the United States last week amounted to 1,841,000 nt. This figure represents a 1.2 percent increase from the 1,820,000 nt produced in the prior week, and is up 7 percent from the 1,720,000 nt produced in the same week of last year.
The capacity utilization rate of US raw steelmaking facilities was 75.3 percent in the week ending February 26, unchanged from the prior week and up compared to 71.1 percent in the same week last year.
Adjusted year-to-date production through February 26, 2011 was 14,505,000 nt, at a capability utilization rate of 72.8 percent. This represents a 10.4 percent increase from the 13,141,000 nt produced during the same period last year, when the capability utilization rate was 67.5 percent.