­­U.S. Steel Capacity Utilization:

The total tonnage for the week ending September 13th was 1,764 million net tons, at a capacity utilization rate of 77.9%.

The year-to-date tonnage output is 63,692 million net tons, at an average capacity utilization rate of 76.7%. In 2024, the same output total was 63,759 million net tons, at an average capacity utilization of 77.6%.

Figure 1:

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.