US raw steel production down 0.5 percent

According to data released this week by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), US raw steel production is down 0.5 percent from last week. The previous week's tonnage totaled 2.083 million net tons (nt), while numbers for the week ending August 26, 2006 totaled 2.072 million nt. Raw steel production is up though when comparing the week ending August 26, 2006 with the same week of the previous year. Last year, for the week ending August 26, net tonnage registered at 1.880 million, 192,000 nt less than the same week of this year. Year to date net tonnage as of August 26, 2006 totals 70.6 million nt with mills working at an average capability utilization rate of 87.1 percent, up 5.9 percent from the same period the previous year with mills producing 66.6 million nt and operating at an 85.0 percent capability utilization rate. The Southern district produced the most raw steel for the week ending August 26, 2006, with the Indiana/Chicago district being a close second producing 667,000 nt and 493,000 nt respectively.