UNITED STATES July 21 2015 2:33 PM

NEW YORK (Scrap Register): United States domestic raw steel production declined sharply by 8.4 % year-on-year to 1,753,000 net tons in the week ended July 18, 2015, while the capability utilization rate was 73.3 percent, as per the latest figures from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).

According to AISI, production was 1,914,000 net tons in the week ended July 18, 2014 while the capability utilization then was 79.6 percent.

Production for the week ended July 18, 2015 is up 0.7 percent from the previous week ended July 11, 2015 when production was 1,740,000 net tons and the rate of capability utilization was 72.8 percent.

Adjusted year-to-date production through July 18, 2015 was 48,747,000 net tons, at a capability utilization rate of 72.5 percent. That is down 7.7 percent from the 52,790,000 net tons during the same period last year, when the capability utilization rate was 77.6 percent.