Local steel production increases 44,000 tons

Estimated raw steel production in Indiana and the Chicago area -- the nation's second-largest steel-producing region -- was 466,000 tons during the week ending March 20, up from the 422,000 tons produced in the prior week, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.

Production in the Southern District, the nation's largest steel-producing region, was estimated at 543,000 tons during the same period, down from the 555,000 tons produced a week earlier.

Domestic mills produced 1.72 million tons of steel last week, up 75 percent from the 983,000 tons made during the same period in 2009. U.S. steel mills operated at 71.1 percent capacity last week versus 70.9 percent capacity during the previous week.

Year-to-date production at U.S. mills was 18.39 million tons of steel versus 11.57 million tons during the comparable 2009 period.