Raw steel production in the Great Lakes region rose to 671,000 tons last week, up from 636,000 tons a week earlier, an increase of 5.5 percent.

Capacity utilization nationwide was only 68.9 percent last week, the fourth straight week it’s been mired under 70 percent, well below the 90 percent that many analysts say is healthy. Overall U.S. steel output rose by 6,000 tons last week to 1.61 million tons, according to an American Iron and Steel Institute estimate.

Nationally, steel output so far this year continues to trail the sluggish 2015 pace by about 1.2 million tons, a decline of 1.8 percent. In 2015, during the worst import crisis in more than a decade, steel production in the United States declined by 10.5 percent from the year before, according to the World Steel Association.

Much of the raw steel production in the Great Lakes region takes place in Lake and Porter counties in Indiana.

Production in the Southern District, which spans mini-mills across the South, dropped to 512,000 tons last week, down from 541,000 tons the previous week, a 5.3 percent drop.

Year-to-date steel output in the United States has been 67.1 million net tons at a capacity utilization rate of 71.8 percent compared to 68.4 million net tons at a capacity utilization of 72.1 percent at the same time last year, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.

Source : nwitimes.com

Great Lakes steel production ticked up to 667,000 tons last week, a 0.7 percent increase over the 662,000 tons of output the previous week.

Domestic steelmakers used about 72.3 percent of their steelmaking capacity in the week that ended Jan. 14, up from 71 percent the previous week, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. It was also up from 68.7 percent during the same time period in 2016 but still well below the 90 percent capacity utilization many analysts consider healthy for the industry.

Overall U.S. steel output rose by 32,000 tons last week to 1.71 million, an increase of 1.9 percent, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute estimate.

The Great Lakes region, chiefly Lake and Porter counties in Indiana, again led the nation in steel production.

Output in the Southern District, which spans mini-mills across the South, rose to 600,000 tons last week, up from 578,000 tons the previous week, a 3.8 percent increase.

So far this year, U.S. steelmakers have produced about 5.8 percent more steel than they did during the same period in 2016. Capacity utilization for the year is 70.8 percent, up from 68.7 percent at the same time in 2016.

Source:nwitimes.com

Great Lakes steel production rose to 651,000 tons last week, an increase of 0.7 percent, marking the second straight week it's gone up after a steep drop of 47,000 tons in the middle of May.

Steel mills in the Great Lakes region cranked out 646,000 tons of metal the previous week, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. Most of the steel made in the Great Lakes region is produced in Lake and Porter counties in Northwest Indiana.

So far this year, U.S. steelmakers have produced 36.4 million tons of steel, about 2.9 percent more than they did during the same period in 2016. Steel mills have been running at a capacity of 74.4 percent so far this year, up from 72.1 percent through the same time last year.

Domestic steelmakers used about 75.2 percent of their steelmaking capacity in the week that ended May 27, up from 74.7 percent the previous week, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. Capacity utilization was 74.1 percent during the same time period in 2016.

Overall, U.S. steel output increased by 12,000 tons last week to 1.753 million tons, a 0.58 percent increase, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.

Output in the Southern District, the second largest steel-producing region, which spans mini-mills across the South, dropped to 644,000 tons last week, down from 651,000 tons the previous week.

Source:nwitimes.com