US crude steel production increased by 1.3pc to 1.2mn nt (1.1mn mt) from the previous week and the capacity utilization rate rose by 0.7pc to reach 54pc during the week ending June 13, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).
The tonnage produced dropped by 35.1pc from 1.9mn nt during the week ending June 13, 2019, when the capability utilization rate was 80.1pc.
Adjusted year-to-date production was 36.7mn mt with a capability utilization rate of 68pc, decreasing by 17.7pc from 44.6mn nt during the same period last year. The capacity utilization rate dropped by 13.2pc from 81.2pc during the same period last year.
Compred to the previous week, production percentages contributed by each region to the remained relatively unchanged.
Regionally, the South produced 41.6pc of total steel production, or 503,000nt, followed by the Great Lakes at 33.7pc, or 408,000nt. Together, the two leading regions produced 911,000nt, or 75.3pc, of total crude steel produced in the US. Compared to the same week last year, the South produced 709,000nt, or 38pc, while the Great Lakes produced 683,000nt, or 37.6pc, of the total crude steel produced in the US. Last year, the two regions combined produced 75.6pc, with gains in the South.
Production in the South declined by 29.1pc and the Great Lakes decreased by 40.3pc compared to the same week a year ago. Compared to a year ago, the Northeast declined by 41pc to 115,000nt, the Midwest declined by 36.1pc to 131,000nt, and the West declined by 29.3pc to 53,000nt.
Crude steel production tonnage provided in the AISI data is estimated. The figures are compiled from weekly production tonnages provided by 50pc of domestic producers combined with monthly production data.