The steel industry in the United States has once again shown signs of strength under the tariff policy driven by Donald Trump, with a nearly 30% drop in steel imports during 2026 and strong growth in domestic production.
According to the latest data from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), raw steel production reached 1.872 million net tons during the week ending May 30, 2026. This figure represents a year-over-year increase of 8.8% compared to the same period last year, when production was 1.720 million net tons.
Steel production grew by 8.8% year-on-year
The report also showed an improvement in the utilization of installed capacity, which reached 81.1%, up from 76.6% recorded in the same week of 2025. On a weekly basis, production slightly advanced from the 1.870 million net tons reported for the previous week, while capacity utilization increased from 81.0% to 81.1%.
In the first five months of 2026, adjusted production reached 38.925 million net tons, representing a growth of 6.8% compared to the 36.461 million recorded in the same period of 2025. Average capacity utilization also improved, rising from 76.2% to 78.6%.
The progress occurs alongside a significant reduction in imports, which remain about 30% below the annual total. This change reflects the impact of the tariffs imposed by Trump on foreign steel, a policy aimed at protecting the domestic industry from countries that flood international markets with subsidized or low-cost production.
The United States surpassed Japan in steel production
By region, the southern United States remained the main steel hub, with 848,000 net tons during the analyzed week. It was followed by the Great Lakes region, with 495,000 tons; the Midwest, with 321,000; the Northeast, with 137,000; and the West, with 71,000 net tons.
The White House defended the update of tariffs on steel, aluminum, and copper as part of a strategy to strengthen domestic manufacturing, protect strategic sectors, and sustain industrial jobs within the country. Instead of leaving industrial security in the hands of external suppliers, the Trump administration refocused on domestic production.
