US crude steel production slides 3.9% over week

US crude steel output totaled 1,756,000 net tons last week, down 3.9% from 1,827,000 tons the previous week, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute based in Washington.

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Mills operated at an average capability utilisation rate of 72.6%.

In the corresponding week a year earlier, mills produced 1,902,000 tons at an average utilisation rate of 76.9%.

The capability utilisation figures for 2013 reflect a change in the overall capacity of the market due to “the closure of several steelmaking facilities in 2012, new facilities coming online and improvements made to existing facilities to increase their capability,” AISI said.