US weekly raw steel production levels reflect slight decline

According to the most recent data from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) for the week ending on January 21, 2017, domestic raw steel production was 1,703,000 net tons while the capability utilization rate was 71.8 percent. Production was 1,607,000 net tons in the week ending January 21, 2016 while the capability utilization then was 68.7 percent. The current week production represents a 6.0 percent increase from the same period in the previous year. Production for the week ending January 21, 2017 is down 0.8 percent from the previous week ending January 14, 2017 when production was 1,716,000 net tons and the rate of capability utilization was 72.3 percent.
 
Adjusted year-to-date production through January 21, 2017 was 5,103,000 net tons, at a capability utilization rate of 71.7 percent. That is up 5.8 percent from the 4,821,000 net tons during the same period last year, when the capability utilization rate was 68.7 percent.
 
Broken down by districts, the production for the week ending January 21, 2017 in thousands of net tons is as follows: North East: 205; Great Lakes: 648; Midwest: 160; Southern: 616 and Western: 74 for a total of 1703.