­­U.S. Steel Capacity Utilization: The total tonnage for the week ending May 15th was 1.735 million net tons, at a capacity utilization rate of 77.2%. The year-to-date tonnage output is 35.992 million net tons, at an average capacity utilization rate of 77.1%. In 2023, the same output total was 35.144 million net tons, at an average capacity utilization of 74.7%.

Figure 1 shows production on the left-hand scale and capacity utilization as a percentage on the right-hand scale.

At Gerdau, we track U.S. steel production and capacity utilization to keep an eye on the overall health of the steel industry. We feel it is important to understand the forces that influence steel demand, including the strength of the U.S. economy and import penetration.