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Iron Ore: World Production, By Country

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TABLE 16
IRON ORE:� WORLD PRODUCTION, BY COUNTRY1
(Thousand metric tons)
 
    Gross weight2   Metal content3
Country4   2001   2002   2003   2004   2005e     2001   2002   2003   2004   2005e  
Algeria 1,291 1,202 1,378 1,554 r 1,579 650 610 700 780 r, e 790
Australia 181,553 187,219 r 212,881 r 234,002 r 261,706 5 112,592 116,355 r 132,195 r 145,287 r 162,527 5
Austriae 1,800 1,900 2,119 5 1,882 r, 5 2,000 575 575 703 5 602 r 640
Azerbaijane NA (6) 3 5 19 r, 5 7 5 NA (6) 2 10 r 4
Bosnia and Herzegovina 264 212 127 300 r, e 3,000 132 106 63 150 r, e 1,500
Brazil 201,430 214,560 234,478 r 262,029 r 280,000 p 133,713 142,468 155,693 174,300 r 185,000 p
Bulgaria 464 373 466 83 r 80 148 119 127 27 r 26
Canada7 27,119 30,902 33,322 28,596 r 30,125 p 17,274 19,684 20,993 18,016 r 18,980 p
Chile 8,834 7,269 8,011 8,003 r 8,000 5,437 4,398 4,865 4,850 r 4,800
Chinae, 8 220,000 231,000 261,000 320,000 r 420,000 72,600 76,200 86,000 105,000 r 138,000
Colombia 637 688 625 508 r 499 5 350 378 344 e 280 r, e 275
Egypt 2,600 2,618 r 2,237 r 2,400 r, e 2,600 1,300 1,309 r, e 1,119 r, e 1,200 r, e 1,300
Germany9 407 e 419 e 429 e 412 410 57 r 59 r 60 r 58 r 57
Greecee, 10 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 575 575 575 575 575
Guatemala 15 e 35 2 r 3 r 11 5 10 23 2 r 2 r 7
India 79,200 86,400 99,100 120,600 140,000 5 50,700 55,300 63,400 77,200 e 90,000
Indonesia 469 379 245 90 22 5 258 e 216 e 140 e 51 e 12
Iran11 13,978 r 16,906 r 18,287 r 18,205 r 19,000 6,400 r 8,000 r 9,000 r 8,900 r 9,000
Japan 1 -- r -- r -- r -- (6) -- r -- r -- r --
Kazakhstan 14,140 15,423 19,281 r 18,726 r 16,470 5 8,000 8,700 10,933 10,600 r 9,300
Kenya 1 1 1 1 1 (6) (6) (6) (6) (6)
Korea, Northe 4,200 4,100 4,430 4,580 5,000 1,200 1,150 1,260 1,300 1,400
Korea, Republic of 195 365 289 r 328 r 305 5 109 164 125 r 138 r 131 5
Macedoniae 10 r 10 r 10 r 10 r 10 6 r 6 r 6 r 6 r 6
Malaysia 376 404 597 664 r 650 241 e 259 e 382 424 r 416
Mauritania 10,302 9,553 10,377 r 11,000 r 11,000 6,700 6,200 6,890 r 7,200 r 7,200
Mexico12 8,783 9,941 r 11,265 r 11,483 r 11,700 5,270 5,965 6,759 6,890 7,028 5
Morocco 8 9 6 r 10 r 10 4 5 3 r, e 5 r, e 5
New Zealand13 1,636 5 1,740 5 1,947 5 2,329 r, 5 2,300 480 520 580 e 690 r 690
Nigeria 25 25 -- e -- e -- 9 9 -- e -- e --
Norway 500 515 500 600 620 340 e 350 340 408 420
Peru 4,564 4,594 5,229 r 6,439 6,895 5 3,087 3,105 3,542 4,247 r 4,565 5
Portugal14 15 5 15 15 5 12 12 5 5 5 4 4
Romaniae 292 341 304 305 r 300 76 89 5 82 5 74 5 70 5
Russia 82,500 84,236 91,760 96,980 96,764 5 48,000 e 49,000 53,000 e 56,200 e 56,100
Slovakia 435 326 287 r 305 r 300 152 114 100 r, e 107 r, e 105
South Africa15 34,757 36,484 38,086 39,322 r 39,542 5 22,240 23,350 24,000 e 24,800 e 24,900
Sweden 19,486 5 20,300 21,500 22,300 23,300 12,811 5 13,400 5 14,100 14,700 15,300
Thailand (6) 570 10 136 220 5 (6) 285 5 e 68 r, e 116 5
Tunisia 204 198 164 244 206 5 109 e 105 87 e 129 110
Turkey 3,932 3,433 3,429 3,857 4,000 5 2,100 e 1,830 r, e 1,830 r, e 2,060 r, e 2,150
Uganda 1 -- -- -- -- 1 -- -- -- --
Ukraine 54,650 58,900 62,498 65,550 68,570 5 30,000 e 32,300 34,300 e 36,000 e 37,700
United Kingdom 1 5 1 5 1 1 1 1 (6) (6) (6) (6)
United States 46,192 51,570 48,554 54,724 54,329 5 29,263 32,499 30,590 34,460 34,202 5
Venezuela16 16,902 16,684 17,954 19,196 r 20,000 10,817 11,092 r 11,936 r 12,669 r 13,000
Vietnam 400 r 430 r 540 r 650 r 700 220 r 236 r 300 r 360 r 385
Zimbabwe 361 272 367 283 r 377 5 180 r, e 136 r, e 180 r, e 154 r, e 200
Total   1,046,430 r 1,104,022 r 1,215,610 r 1,360,221 r 1,534,121     584,192 r 617,249 r 677,315 r 750,981 r 828,996  
See footnotes at end of table.
TABLE 16�Continued
IRON ORE:� WORLD PRODUCTION, BY COUNTRY1
eEstimated.� pPreliminary. �rRevised.� NA Not available.� -- Zero.
1Table includes data available through July 16, 2006.
2Insofar as availability of sources permit, gross weight in this table represent the nonduplicative sum of marketable direct-shipping iron ores and iron ore
concentrates; iron agglomerates produced from imported iron ores have been excluded under the assumption that the ore from which such materials are produced
has been credited as marketable ore in the country where it was mined.
3Data represent actual reported weight of contained metal or are calculated from reported metal content.� Estimated figures are based on latest available iron
content reported, except for the following countries for which grades are U.S. Geological Survey estimates:� Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, North Korea, and Ukraine.
4In addition to the countries listed, Cuba may also produce iron ore, but definitive information on output levels, if any, is not available.
5Reported figure.
6Less than � unit.
7Series represented gross weight and metal content of usable iron ore (including byproduct ore) actually produced, natural weight.
8China's gross weight iron ore production figures are significantly higher than that of other countries, because China reports crude ore production only with an
average iron content of 33%, whereas other countries report production of usable ore.
9Iron ore is used domestically as an additive in cement and other construction materials but is of too low a grade to use in the steel industry.
10Nickeliferous iron ore.
11Data are for year beginning March 21 of that stated.
12Gross weight calculated from reported iron content based on grade of 60% iron.
13Concentrates from titaniferous magnetite beach sands.
14Includes manganiferous iron ore.
15Includes magnetite ore as follows, in thousand metric tons:� 2001�2,552; 2002�2,557; 2003�2,307; 2004�2,893; and 2005�2,900.
16Offical data reported by the Ministerio de la Industria B�sica y Miner�a (formerly Ministerio de Energ�a y Minas), may differ from those published by Venezuela's
only producer C.V.G. Ferrominera Orinoco CA.

Source: United States Geological Survey Mineral Resources Program

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