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| Raw materials |
The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported a notable 1.8% increase in U.S. raw steel production for the week ending January 11, 2025, compared to the same period last year.
Production and Capacity Utilization Trends
During the week, domestic steel mills produced 1.659 million net tons (NT) of raw steel, achieving a capacity utilization rate of 74.5%. This marks an improvement from the 1.629 million NT produced in the same week of 2024, which had a lower utilization rate of 73.3%. Additionally, crude steel production saw a 1.5% week-on-week increase, rising from 1.635 million NT produced during the week ending January 4, 2025. The capacity utilization rate also improved slightly, climbing from 73.6% to 74.5%.
Regional Contributions to Production
The Southern region led production with 750,000 NT, followed by the Great Lakes region at 483,000 NT. Other regions contributed as follows:
- Midwest: 240,000 NT
- North East: 128,000 NT
- Western: 58,000 NT
Year-to-date adjusted steel production as of January 11, 2025, stood at 2.593 million NT, a 1.3% increase from the 2.560 million NT produced during the same period in 2024. The year-to-date capacity utilization rate also improved, rising from 73.3% to 74.1%.
The steady rise in raw steel production and capacity utilization reflects ongoing demand stability in the U.S. steel market. The Southern region’s dominant contribution highlights its critical role in driving the industry forward.
