U.S. Raw Steel Output Rises 4.8% YoY Despite Weekly Pullback

Steel News  |  2026-10-06 03:16:48   |   By

On an adjusted year-to-date basis, U.S. steelmakers produced 71.967 million net tons through October 3, 2026.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): U.S. raw steel production remained above year-ago levels in early October, although weekly output eased from the previous period, according to the latest production data from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).

The domestic mills in the U.S. produced 1.801 million net tons of raw steel during the week ended October 3, 2026. This was 4.8% higher than the 1.718 million net tons of production recorded during the corresponding week in 2025. Capability utilization also improved from 77.0% a year earlier to 78.3%.

The latest weekly output was 2.4% down from the 1.845 million net tons produced during the week ended September 26. Over the previous week, utilization fell from 80.5% to 78.3%.

On an adjusted year-to-date basis, U.S. steelmakers produced 71.967 million net tons through October 3, 2026. That represents a 5.3% increase from the 68.362 million net tons produced through the comparable period last year. Average capability utilization improved from 77.1% to 79.0% year-on-year.

The Southern district remained the largest producer, accounting for 802,000 net tons. The Great Lakes followed with 522,000 tons, while the Midwest produced 282,000 tons. The Northeast contributed 126,000 tons and the Western district 69,000 tons.

The data point to stronger annual steel output despite a recent week-to-week decline.