U.S. industry exceeds steel capacity utilization level outlined in Section 232 report

The domestic steel industry last week exceeded the capacity utilization level targeted by the Commerce Department last year in its Section 232 report to the White House on steel imports, which was used to justify 25 percent tariffs on U.S. trading partners. Statistics from the American Iron and Steel Institute show U.S. capacity utilization levels have risen from 76 percent last April to above 80 percent last week. The report called that level “roughly” what was needed to make the...