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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   1999   2000   2001   2002   2003e     1999   2000   2001   2002   2003e  
Algeria 1,336 1,645 1,291 r 1,202 r 1,378 5 680 830 e 650 r 610 r 700
Australia 154,268 167,935 181,553 182,704 187,219 95,223 104,226 112,592 113,548 116,355
Austriae 1,752 5 1,800 1,800 1,900 1,800 500 5 500 575 575 575
Azerbaijane -- NA NA NA NA -- NA NA NA NA
Bosnia and Herzegovinae 150 150 150 150 150 50 50 50 50 50
Brazil 194,000 212,576 r 210,000 212,000 r 212,000 128,040 r 141,106 r 139,400 r 140,000 r 140,000
Bulgaria 699 559 464 r 373 r 375 223 178 148 r 119 r 120
Canada6 33,900 35,427 r 26,981 r 30,969 31,000 21,650 22,744 17,186 r 19,820 r 19,800
Chile 8,345 8,729 8,834 7,269 r 7,300 5,215 5,455 5,437 r 4,398 r 4,420
Chinae, 7 237,000 223,000 220,000 231,000 261,000 78,200 73,500 72,600 76,200 83,000
Colombia 576 660 637 688 r 625 p 317 363 350 378 r 344 p
Egypt 2,700 e 1,900 2,600 2,300 2,900 1,350 950 1,300 1,150 e 1,450
Francee 250 -- -- -- -- 35 -- -- -- --
Germany 100 -- -- -- -- 14 -- -- -- --
Greecee, 8 1,600 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 600 575 575 575 575
Guatemala 11 16 15 15 e 15 7 11 10 10 10
India 70,220 75,950 79,200 94,300 r, e 105,500 44,940 48,600 50,700 60,300 r, e 67,500
Indonesia 584 489 r 469 r 379 r 245 5 320 e 269 e 258 e 261 140
Iran9 10,776 12,370 10,300 11,300 16,000 5,300 6,100 5,100 5,600 7,200
Japan 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 (10) (10) (10)
Kazakhstan 9,091 16,160 14,140 15,423 17,311 5 5,200 9,200 e 8,000 8,700 9,800
Kenya NA 1 1 1 1 NA (10) e (10) (10) (10)
Korea, Northe 3,800 3,800 4,200 4,100 r 4,300 1,100 1,200 1,200 1,150 r 1,300
Korea, Republic of 410 336 195 157 r 150 229 188 109 88 r 85
Macedoniae 15 15 15 15 15 9 9 9 9 9
Malaysia 337 259 376 404 597 5 216 168 241 259 r 382
Mauritania 10,400 11,345 r 10,302 r 9,600 e 10,100 7,475 r 7,500 r 6,700 6,200 r 6,500
Mexico11 11,475 11,325 8,783 9,900 r 11,200 6,885 6,795 5,270 5,943 r 6,747
Morocco 7 6 r 8 9 r 4 5 4 r 4 r 4 r 5 r 2
New Zealand12 2,303 2,692 1,636 1,700 r, e 1,900 691 808 480 e 510 r, e 570
Nigeria -- 25 25 25 -- -- 9 9 9 --
Norway 520 543 e 500 515 515 355 369 e 340 e 350 350
Peru 3,949 r 4,144 r 4,564 5,494 r 5,229 5 2,715 2,813 r 3,087 r 3,105 r 3,542
Portugal13 16 15 e 15 15 e 15 7 6 e 5 e 5 5
Romaniae 131 116 r 292 r 341 r 315 71 55 r 76 r 89 r, 5 79 5
Russia 81,311 86,630 82,500 84,236 91,760 5 46,900 50,000 48,000 e 49,000 53,000
Serbia and Montenegroe 50 50 -- -- -- -- 15 -- -- --
Slovakia 479 477 435 r 326 r 325 167 r 167 r 152 r 114 r 114
South Africa14 29,508 33,707 34,757 36,484 38,086 5 18,442 21,570 22,240 23,350 24,000
Sweden 18,558 20,557 19,486 20,300 r, e 21,500 11,506 13,556 12,811 13,300 r, e 14,100
Thailand   123   (10)   (10)   570   10 5   61   (10)   (10)   285   5  
See footnotes at end of table.
TABLE 16--Continued
IRON ORE: WORLD PRODUCTION, BY COUNTRY1
(Thousand metric tons)
 
    Gross weight2   Metal content3
Country4   1999   2000   2001   2002   2003e     1999   2000   2001   2002   2003e  
Tunisia 219 182 204 198 164 120 98 109 e 105 87
Turkey 4,846 4,076 3,932 4,500 3,700 2,600 2,200 2,100 e 2,400 e 2,000
Uganda:
Limonite 3 2 -- -- -- 2 e 1 e -- -- --
Other (10) 2 1 -- r -- (10) e 2 e 1 -- r --
Ukraine 47,769 55,883 54,650 58,900 62,498 5 26,200 30,600 e 30,000 e 32,300 34,300
United Kingdom 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 e 1 e (10) (10)
United States 57,749 63,089 46,192 51,570 46,447 36,530 39,703 29,263 32,499 29,286 5
Venezuela 14,051 17,353 16,902 16,684 r 17,954 9,292 11,092 10,817 11,100 r 11,900
Vietnam 300 300 300 300 300 165 165 165 165 165
Zimbabwe 599 451 361 272 367 5 300 226 e 184 e 139 188 5
Total   1,016,289 r 1,078,251 r 1,050,568 r 1,100,089 r 1,163,770     559,921 r 603,976 r 588,304 r 614,774 r 640,754  
eEstimated. pPreliminary. rRevised. NA Not available. -- Zero.
1Table includes data available through July 16, 2004.
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.
6Series represented gross weight and metal content of usable iron ore (including byproduct ore) actually produced, natural weight.
7China'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 Fe content of 33%, whereas other countries
report production of usable ore.
8Nickeliferous iron ore.
9Data are for year beginning March 21 of that stated.
10Less than 1/2 unit.
11Gross weight calculated from reported iron content based on grade of 60% iron.
12Concentrates from titaniferous magnetite beach sands.
13Includes manganiferous iron ore.
14Includes magnetite ore as follows, in thousand metric tons: 1999--2,200; 2000--2,854; 2001--2,552; 2002--2,557; and 2003--2,307.

Source: United States Geological Survey Mineral Resources Program

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