Weekly Raw Steel Production – September 14, 2013: AISI

In the week ending September 14, 2013, domestic raw steel production was 1,843,000 net tons while the capability utilization rate was 76.9 percent. Production was 1,751,000 net tons in the week ending Septemer 14, 2012, while the capability utilization then was 70.4 percent. The current week production represents a 5.3 percent increase from the same period in the previous year. Production for the week ending September 14, 2013 is down 1.5 percent from the previous week ending September 7, 2013 when production was 1,872,000 net tons and the rate of capability utilization was 78.1 percent.

Adjusted year-to-date production through September 14, 2013 was 68,424,000 net tons, at a capability utilization rate of 77.2 percent. That is a 3.8 percent decrease from the 71,142,000 net tons during the same period last year, when the capability utilization rate was 77.0 percent.

Broken down by districts, here’s production for the week ending September 14, 2013 in thousands of net tons: North East: 210; Great Lakes: 657; Midwest: 239; Southern: 669 and Western: 68, for a total of 1,843.

The Raw Steel production tonnage provided in this report is estimated. The figures are compiled from weekly production tonnage provided from 50 percent of the domestic producers combined with monthly production data for the remainder. Therefore, this report should be used primarily to assess production trends. The AISI production report “AIS 7,” published monthly and available by subscription, provides a more detailed summary of steel production based on data supplied by companies representing over three quarters of U.S. production capacity.

Note: Capability for the Third Quarter 2013 is approximately 31.5 million tons versus 32.7 million tons for the same period last year and 31.1 million tons for the Second Quarter of 2013. Production capability for 2013 reflects the closure of several steelmaking facilities in 2012, new facilities coming on-line and improvements made to existing facilities to increase their capability. When comparing capability utilization rates between 2013 and 2012, the user of this data should take into account the change to capability for 2013 in analyzing the data.