WASHINGTON | Steel production in the Northwest Indiana/Chicago area, the nation's second-largest steel producing region, was 512,000 tons during the week ending May 24, down from the 520,000 tons produced the week prior, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. Production in the Southern District, the country's largest steel producing region, was 695,000 tons during the same period.

Nationally, domestic mills produced 2.14 million tons of steel last week, up 0.8 percent from the 2.12 million tons made during the same period in 2007. U.S. steel mills operated at 89.7 percent capacity last week versus 89.9 percent capacity during the previous week.

For the year to date, U.S. steel mills produced 43.9 million tons of steel versus 42.5 million tons during the comparable 2007 period.