US raw steel capability utilization increased last week, the American Iron and Steel Institute reported March 1.
The raw steel capability utilization rate rose to 77.2%, up from 77% the previous week.
Production increased by 0.2% to 1.749 million st during the week ending Feb. 27, up from 1.745 million st the previous week, according to the data.
Last week’s production was still down 7% compared to the same week a year earlier, when capability utilization was at 81.3% and production totaled 1.88 million st.
Adjusted year-to-date production through Feb. 27 totaled 14.357 million st, with a capability utilization rate of 76.5%. The total is 8.4% lower than the 15.674 million st produced during the same period last year, when the utilization rate was 81.9%.
Last week’s production totaled 155,000 st in the Northeast, 624,000 st in the Great Lakes region, 181,000 st in the Midwest, 715,000 st in the Southern district and 74,000 st in the Western region.
--- Steel Business Briefing