294 



UNITED STATES MINERAL RESOURCES 



In recent years approximately one-third of the 

 iron ore consumed in the United States has been 

 imported (Wimpfen, 1971). About 50 percent has 

 come from Canada, about 40 percent from South 

 America, 5 percent from Africa, and the remainder 

 from Australia, western Europe (mostly from Swe- 

 den), Asia, and Oceania. No iron ore is imported 

 from the eastern European countries or from east- 

 ern continental Asia. The sources and quantities of 

 imports of iron ore to the United States during the 

 past decade are indicated in figure 36. 



\ 



n/- 



\ 



N 



/• 





South America 



/ Y" — Africa 



yL , , (mostly Liberia) 



^Europe (mostly 

 ^ .^^ Norway and Sweden) 



?^. 



1963 



1965 



FiGliRE 36. — Sources and amounts of iron ore imported to 

 the United States, 1961-71. Data from Institute of Geologi- 

 cal Sciences (1971) and from U.S. Bureau of Mines Min- 

 erals Yearbooks (1961-70) and Commodity Data Sum- 

 maries (1972). 



Canada, Venezuela, Liberia, Chile, Peru, Sweden, 

 and more recently Australia, have been substantial 

 suppliers of iron ore to the United States. The 

 value of iron ore imported to the United States has 

 exceeded 400 million dollars per year in recent years, 

 while the value of iron ore exported from the United 

 States has been less than 70 million dollars per year, 

 as shown in figure 37. 



1951 1955 1959 1963 1967 1971 



Figure 37. — Value of United States imports and exports of 

 iron ore, 1951-71. Data from U.S. Bureau of Mines Min- 

 erals Yearbooks (1951-70) and Commodity Data Sum- 

 maries (1972). 



EXPLOITATION 



Iron ore has been produced in 45 of the 50 States 

 of the United States (Button, 1955; United Nations, 

 1970; see also data in U.S. Bur. Mines Minerals 

 Yearbooks 1932-70 and U.S. Geol. Survey and U.S. 

 Bur. Mines Mineral Resources of the United States 

 1882-1931). Only Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, 

 North Dakota, and Hawaii have no record of iron- 

 ore production. 



