According to the Mineral Industry Survey released by the US Geological Survey (USGS), US iron ore production in September this year was 4.34 million mt, nearly equal to the August level and down 1.4 percent year on year. In the first nine months of the year, iron ore production in the US totaled 38.3 million mt, falling 4.25 percent compared to the same period of the previous year.
Meanwhile, in September pig iron production in the US totaled 2.44 million mt, falling 14.7 percent month on month and down 3.9 percent compared to the same month of the previous year. US crude steel production via blast furnaces in the month in question fell by 13.5 percent compared to August and was down by 11.7 percent year on year, amounting to 2.7 million mt, while crude steel production using EAFs amounted to 4.1 million mt, falling 8.1 percent month on month and down 1.5 percent compared to September 2011.
Iron ore shipments in the US in September totaled 4.67 million mt, down 10.5 percent compared to August and falling by 17 percent compared to September 2011. In the first nine months of the year, US iron ore shipments rose 0.8 percent to 38.5 million mt, compared to January-September 2011.
In September this year, US iron ore exports amounted to 793,000 mt, falling 23 percent month on month. Iron ore exports to Canada, the largest iron ore export destination of the US decreased 46 percent in September compared to August, totaling 340,000 mt, while exports to China amounted to 359,000 metric tons, rising by 2.3 percent over the previous month.