According to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AIS), in the week ending December 19, 2015, US domestic raw steel production was 1,523,000 net tons while the capability utilization rate was 63.7 percent. Production was 1,795,000 net tons in the week ending December 19, 2014 while the capability utilization then was 74.6 percent. The current week production represents a 15.2 percent decrease from the same period in the previous year. Production for the week ending December 19, 2015 is down 0.8 percent from the previous week ending December 12, 2015 when production was 1,536,000 net tons and the rate of capability utilization was 64.2 percent.
Adjusted year-to-date production through December 19, 2015 was 85,387,000 net tons, at a capability utilization rate of 71.2 percent. That is down 9.1 percent from the 93,911,000 net tons during the same period last year, when the capability utilization rate was 77.5 percent.