SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The most recent weekly production statistics suggests notable decline in raw steel production by the country during the week ended on October 17, 2020. The data published by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) points to significant year-on-year decline in output during the week.

The domestic raw steel production during the week totalled 1.535 million net tons. The capability utilization rate during the week was 69.40%. This compares with the production and capability utilization rate of 1.805 million net tons and 78.0% respectively during the corresponding week a year before. Upon comparison with the week ended October 10th, 2019, the production was down by almost 15%.

The production for the week was up marginally by 2.2% from the prior week, when it had totalled 1.502 million net tons. The capability utilization rate was 67.9% in the week ended October 10, 2020.

The topmost producer was the Southern region, whose output totalled 601,000 net tons. The production by the other regions is as follows: Great Lakes (557,000 net tons), Midwest (164,000 net tons), North East (143,000 net tons) and Western (70,000 net tons).

The adjusted year-to-date production through October 17th, 2020 totalled 62.481 million net tons at an average capability utilization rate of 66.3%. This is down by almost 19.40%, upon comparison with the production of 77.545 million net tons during the same period a year before, when the capability utilization rate had averaged at 80.1%.