According to the Mineral Industry Survey released by the US Geological Survey (USGS), US iron ore production in December 2012 was 4.65 million mt, up 1.5 percent over the November level and up slightly by 0.4 percent year on year. In 2012, iron ore production in the US totaled 52.2 million mt, falling 2.6 percent compared to the previous year. Iron ore shipments in the US in 2012 totaled 53 million mt, down 2.2 percent compared to 2011.
Meanwhile, in 2012 pig iron production in the US totaled 35 million mt, rising 6.7 percent year on year. US crude steel production via blast furnaces in 2012 rose by 5.4 percent compared to 2011, amounting to 33.4 million mt, while crude steel production using EAFs amounted to 52.4 million mt, up by 0.6 percent compared to 2011.
Last year, US iron ore exports amounted to 11.2 million mt, rising by 0.9 percent year on year. Iron ore exports to Canada, the largest iron ore export destination of the US, decreased by 9.6 percent in 2012 compared to 2011, totaling 6.37 million mt, while exports to China amounted to 4.1 million metric tons, rising by 28.8 percent over the previous year.