AISI Reports Decline in U.S. Domestic Raw Steel Production for Week Ending February 22, 2025
In the week ending February 22, 2025, the American Iron and Steel Institute reported a noticeable decline in domestic raw steel production, with a total of 1,659,000 net tons produced. This represents a 3.9% decrease compared to the same week in February 2024, where production stood at 1,726,000 net tons. Additionally, the capability utilization rate for the week ending February 22, 2025, was reported at 74.5%, a drop from 77.7% in the same week last year.
These figures highlight a consistent trend of lower steel production compared to last year, with capability utilization also experiencing a downward shift. The weekly production numbers from February 2025 reflect a modest decrease of 0.7% compared to the prior week (February 15, 2025), when production was recorded at 1,670,000 net tons and the capability utilization rate was slightly higher at 75.0%.
Year-to-Date Production Update
For the year-to-date period through February 22, 2025, total production was 12,538,000 net tons, with a capability utilization rate of 74.4%. This marks a 0.8% decrease from the 12,637,000 net tons produced in the same period of 2024, when the capability utilization rate was slightly higher at 75.4%. This indicates a slower start to the year for steel production compared to the previous year, further pointing to a trend of underutilization of production capacity.
Steel Production by Region: Breakdown for February 22, 2025
The steel production is distributed across several major production districts in the United States. Below is a breakdown of steel production in thousands of net tons for the week ending February 22, 2025:
• North East: 107,000 net tons
• Great Lakes: 481,000 net tons
• Midwest: 238,000 net tons
• Southern: 768,000 net tons
• Western: 65,000 net tons
This distribution shows that the Southern district remains the largest steel-producing region, contributing 768,000 net tons, followed by the Great Lakes region with 481,000 net tons. The Midwest and Western districts produced 238,000 net tons and 65,000 net tons, respectively. The North East region contributed the least to overall steel production with 107,000 net tons.
Key Takeaways:
• Total domestic steel production for the week ending February 22, 2025, was 1,659,000 net tons, representing a 3.9% decrease from the same period in 2024.
• The capability utilization rate for the week was 74.5%, down from 77.7% last year.
• Production decreased by 0.7% from the previous week (February 15, 2025), when the production was 1,670,000 net tons.
• Year-to-date production through February 22, 2025 was 12,538,000 net tons, down by 0.8% compared to the previous year.
• The Southern region remains the largest producer of steel, contributing 768,000 net tons.
• The Great Lakes region produced 481,000 net tons, and other regions like Midwest, Western, and North East showed lower production numbers.
