US weekly Crude Steel production hits highest level since Sept 2008: AISI

US weekly crude steel production rose again last week, pushing production and capacity utilization to the highest levels seen so far this year, according to data released Monday by the American Iron and Steel Institute.

NEW YORK (Scrap Monster): US weekly crude steel production rose again last week, pushing production and capacity utilization to the highest levels seen so far this year, according to data released Monday by the American Iron and Steel Institute.

In the week to April 21, US production rose 1.4% to an estimated 2 million st (1.82 million mt) from 1.98 million st (1.8 million mt) a week earlier. Capacity utilization rose to 81.1% from 79.9%, the AISI said.

According to AISI, this is the highest weekly crude steel production seen since September 2008, before the effects of recession hit the US steel industry.

Production was up in four of the five AISI regional groupings. Production in the Southern grouping rose to 703,000 st last week from 701,000 st a week earlier. Output in the Great Lakes grouping climbed 3.75% to 694,000 st from 669,000 st and rose in the Midwest grouping to 229,000 st from 223,000 st. Western production rose slightly to 94,000 st from 93,000 st.

In contrast, output in the Northeast grouping dipped slightly to 283,000 st from 289,000 st.

In the first 16 weeks of 2012, US crude steel production totaled 30.9 million st (28.03 million mt), up 7% from the 28.86 million st (26.18 million mt) in the first 16 weeks of 2011.

Production figures and revisions in the AISI's weekly reports are estimates, based on weekly production data from 50% of domestic producers and monthly data from the remainder, the AISI concluded.

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