US iron ore output down 9.7 percent in Jan from Dec

According to the Mineral Industry Survey released by the US Geological Survey (USGS), US iron ore production in January this year was 4.2 million mt, down 9.7 percent from the December 2012 level and up by 0.7 percent year on year. Iron ore shipments in the US in January totaled 3.1 million mt, down significantly compared to the 5.5 million mt recorded in December and down 19 percent year on year.
 
In January, US iron ore exports amounted to 1 million mt, rising by 34.6 percent month on month. Iron ore exports to Canada, the largest iron ore export destination of the US, totaled 832,000 mt, while exports to Mexico amounted to 121,000 metric tons.
 
Meanwhile, in January pig iron production in the US totaled 3 million mt, rising 5.5 percent month on month and down 0.65 percent compared to January 2012. US crude steel production via blast furnaces in the month in question rose by 7.45 percent compared to December 2012 and was down 1.4 percent year on year, amounting to 2.7 million mt, while crude steel production using EAFs amounted to 4.3 million mt, up by 0.7 percent compared to December 2012 and down 7.1 percent year on year.