US iron ore output declines slightly in Q1

According to the Mineral Industry Survey released by the US Geological Survey (USGS), US iron ore production in March this year was 4.4 million mt, rising 13 percent from the February level and up by 2.6 percent year on year. Iron ore shipments in the US in March totaled 2 million mt, up significantly compared to the 611,000 mt recorded in February and down 5.2 percent year on year. In the first quarter, the country's iron ore output amounted to 12.5 million mt, down 1.6 percent, while US iron ore shipments totaled 5.7 million mt, decreasing 14.2 percent, both compared to the first quarter of 2012.
 
In March, US iron ore exports amounted to 807,000 mt, rising strongly by 67.1 percent month on month. However, in the first quarter of the year US iron ore exports fell 3.3 percent to 2.3 million mt, compared to the fourth quarter of 2012. Iron ore exports in the first quarter to Canada, the largest iron ore export destination of the US, totaled 1.3 million mt, down 21.3 percent, while exports to China amounted to 412,000 metric tons, falling 10 percent, both compared to the previous quarter.
 
Meanwhile, in March pig iron production in the US totaled 3 million mt, rising 10 percent month on month and down 11.4 percent compared to March 2012. In the first quarter of the year, US pig iron production was 8.8 million mt, falling 8.4 percent compared to the same quarter of 2013.
 
US crude steel production via blast furnaces in the first quarter fell by 6.6 percent year on year to 7.9 million mt, while crude steel production using electric arc furnaces (EAFs) amounted to 12.6 million mt, down by eight percent compared to the same quarter of the previous year.