Great Lakes steel production rose to 694,000 tons last week, up slightly from 689,000 tons of output the previous week.
So far this year, U.S. steelmakers have produced 17.38 million tons of steel, about 4.7 percent more than they did during the same period in 2016.
Domestic steelmakers used about 75.6 percent of their steelmaking capacity in the week that ended March 11, up from 74.3 percent the previous week, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. It was also up from 72.1 percent during the same time period in 2016 but remains well below the 90 percent capacity utilization some analysts consider as healthy.
Overall U.S. steel output ticked rose by 31,000 tons last week to 1.79 million tons, a 1.7 percent increase, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.
Output in the Southern District, which spans mini-mills across the South, rose to 641,000 tons last week, up from 627,000 tons the previous week.
Source: American Iron and Steel Institute