Raw steel production in the country's Great Lakes region dipped slightly to 668,000 tons in the week that ended Saturday, according to an American Iron and Steel Institute estimate.

Production slipped by about 5,000 tons, or about 0.7 percent, from the week prior. Most of the raw steel production in the Great Lakes region takes place in Indiana and the Chicago area.

Production in the Southern District was estimated at 655,000 tons, up from 615,000 tons a week earlier.

Total domestic raw steel production last week was about 1.86 million tons, which was up from 1.83 the week prior.

U.S. steel mills had a capacity utilization rate of 77.5 percent last week, up from 76.3 percent a week earlier. The capacity utilization rate had been 70.1 percent at the same time last year.

So far this year, domestic steel producers have had a capacity utilization rate of 77.2 percent, which is up from 75.5 percent during the same period in 2012.

Domestic mills have produced an estimated 85 million tons of steel this year, down 1.8 percent from the same period last year. The mills had made about 86.6 million tons of steel by Nov. 16, 2012.

In September, U.S. steel mill shipped 7.8 million net tons, a 5.6 percent decrease from a month earlier but an 8.9 percent increase from the same period last year, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.

Year-to-date shipments over the first nine months were down 2.4 percent. Shipments of hot-dipped galvanized products, hot-rolled sheet and cold-rolled sheet all declined last month.