Great Lakes steel production ticked up to 667,000 tons last week, a 0.7 percent increase over the 662,000 tons of output the previous week.
Domestic steelmakers used about 72.3 percent of their steelmaking capacity in the week that ended Jan. 14, up from 71 percent the previous week, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. It was also up from 68.7 percent during the same time period in 2016 but still well below the 90 percent capacity utilization many analysts consider healthy for the industry.
Overall U.S. steel output rose by 32,000 tons last week to 1.71 million, an increase of 1.9 percent, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute estimate.
The Great Lakes region, chiefly Lake and Porter counties in Indiana, again led the nation in steel production.
Output in the Southern District, which spans mini-mills across the South, rose to 600,000 tons last week, up from 578,000 tons the previous week, a 3.8 percent increase.
So far this year, U.S. steelmakers have produced about 5.8 percent more steel than they did during the same period in 2016. Capacity utilization for the year is 70.8 percent, up from 68.7 percent at the same time in 2016.
Source: http://www.nwitimes.com/