U.S. Raw Steel Output Rises 5.4% Year-to-Date in 2026
Steel News | 2026-09-09 03:17:23
The steelmaking capacity utilization rate stood at 78.3% during the latest week, unchanged from the corresponding week a year earlier. It was slightly below the previous week’s 78.7%.
By Paul Ploumis
SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Year-to-date U.S. raw steel production reached 64.64 million net tons through September 5, 2026, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). The robust year-to-date performance is despite a small weekly decline in production.
U.S. Steel mills produced 1.808 million net tons during the week ended September 5, according to industry data. This was 1.7% higher than the 1.777 million net tons recorded during the comparable week in 2025. However, weekly output slipped 0.6% from the 1.818 million net tons produced in the week ended August 29.
The steelmaking capacity utilization rate stood at 78.3% during the latest week, unchanged from the corresponding week a year earlier. It was slightly below the previous week’s 78.7%.
The adjusted year-to-date U.S. steel production totaled 64.637 million net tons, marking a 5.4% increase from 61.318 million net tons in the same period of 2025. Over the previous year, capacity utilization rose from 77.1%. to 79.0%.
The Southern district remained the largest producing region, accounting for 821,000 net tons. The Great Lakes followed with 511,000 tons, while the Midwest produced 281,000 tons. The Northeast contributed 123,000 tons, and the Western district recorded 72,000 tons. The regional figures highlight the continued dominance of Southern and Great Lakes steel mills.
