According to the American Iron and Steel Institute, in the week ending December 21, 2013, US domestic raw steel production was 1,733,000 net tons while the capability utilization rate was 72.3 percent. Production was 1,785,000 net tons in the week ending December 21, 2012, while the capability utilization then was 71.7 percent. The current week production represents a 2.9 percent decrease from the same period in the previous year. Production for the week ending December 21, 2013 is down 4.7 percent from the previous week ending December 14, 2013 when production was 1,818,000 net tons and the rate of capability utilization was 75.9 percent.
Adjusted year-to-date production through December 14, 2013 was 94,085,000 net tons, at a capability utilization rate of 77.0 percent. That is a 1.4 percent decrease from the 95,464,000 net tons during the same period last year, when the capability utilization rate was 75.2 percent.