U.S. Raw Steel Production Rises to 1.845M Tons as Utilization Hits 80.5%

MONTREAL (Scrap Monster): U.S. raw steel production moved higher during the week ended September 26, 2026, with domestic mills increasing output from both the previous week and the comparable period last year, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).

Domestic mills produced an estimated 1.845 million net tons of raw steel during the week, up 3.4% from 1.785 million net tons in the week ended September 19.

Production was also 3.9% above the 1.775 million net tons produced during the corresponding week of 2025.

U.S. Steel Production Rises 3.4% Week Over Week

The latest weekly production total of 1.845 million net tons compares with 1.785 million tons during the previous reporting period.

At the same time, domestic mill capability utilization increased from 77.9% to 80.5%.

Compared with the same week last year, utilization was also stronger. U.S. mills operated at 78.4% of capability during the week ended September 26, 2025.

Year-to-Date Steel Output Up 5.3%

The stronger weekly reading extends the positive year-to-date trend in U.S. steelmaking.

Adjusted production through September 26 totaled 70.166 million net tons, up 5.3% from 66.644 million net tons during the comparable 2025 period.

That represents approximately 3.52 million additional net tons of raw steel production so far this year.

Average year-to-date capability utilization stood at 79.1%, compared with 77.2% during the same period last year.

Southern District Produces 840,000 Tons

The Southern district remained by far the largest U.S. steel-producing region during the latest reporting week.

The Southern and Great Lakes districts together accounted for about 74.6% of nationwide weekly production.

Domestic Production Stronger as 2026 Imports Remain Lower

The production increase comes against a broader 2026 U.S. steel market in which domestic output has strengthened while import volumes remain below last year's levels.

Separate AISI data show total U.S. steel imports were down 15.1% year over year during January-August, while finished steel imports declined 18.5%.

Finished imported steel held an estimated 16% share of the U.S. market over the first eight months of the year.

The production and import figures cover different reporting periods and should not be treated as a direct one-for-one relationship. Together, however, they show that domestic steelmaking has entered the final months of 2026 at a higher year-to-date production level than a year ago.

Why Mill Utilization Matters to Scrap Suppliers

For ferrous scrap processors, mill operating rates are an important demand indicator.

Higher steelmaking activity generally increases the requirement for metallic feedstocks, including ferrous scrap used by electric-arc furnaces and scrap charged alongside other metallics at integrated operations.

A single weekly increase does not establish a sustained demand trend, but the combination of 80.5% weekly utilization and 5.3% higher year-to-date production provides a firmer underlying signal than the weekly number alone.

Market Read

The September 26 report shows a meaningful rebound from the previous week's softer production reading.

Weekly output increased by about 60,000 net tons, capability utilization moved back above 80%, and production remained higher than both the preceding week and the comparable 2025 period.

The broader year-to-date trend is equally important: U.S. mills have produced more than 70 million tons so far in 2026 and remain 5.3% ahead of last year's pace.

For steel and ferrous scrap markets, the next question is whether utilization can remain near or above the 80% level as mills move into the fourth quarter.