US raw steel output at 1.08 million NT

February 12, 2009: In the week ending February 7, 2009, US domestic raw steel production stood at 1.08 million net tons while the capability utilisation rate was 45.3 percent, according to data released by the American Iron & Steel Institute (AISI).

This is less than half of previous year's comparable figure. Production was 2,186,000 tons in the week ending February 7, 2008, while the capability utilisation then was 91.6 percent. Production for the week ending February 7, 2009 was up 7.4 percent from the previous week ending January 31, 2009, when production was 1,006,000 tons and the rate of capability utilisation was 42.2 percent.

Adjusted year-to-date production through February 7,2009 was 5,590,000 tons, at a capability utilisation rate of 43.1 percent. That is a 52.4 percent decrease from the 11,723,000 tons during the same period last year, when the capability utilisation rate was 90.9 percent.

Source: Steel Insights Bureau