­­U.S. Steel Capacity Utilization: The total tonnage for the week ending February 22nd was 1.659 million net tons, at a capacity utilization rate of 74.5%. The year-to-date tonnage output is 13.239 million net tons, at an average capacity utilization rate of 74.3%. In 2024, the same output total was 13.628 million net tons, at an average capacity utilization of 76.7%.

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.