The value of US mineral production fell slightly in 2013

According to the US Geological Survey’s Mineral Commodity Summaries 2014 report, the estimated value of mineral production in the US reached US$74.3 billion in 2013, down from US$75.8 billion in 2012. This marks the first decline after three consecutive years of increases. Last year, net exports of mineral raw materials and old scrap contributed US$15.8 billion to the US economy.

“To put this in context, the US$90.1 billion value of combined mined, exported, and recycled raw materials is more than five times greater than the 2013 combined net revenues of Internet titans: Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Yahoo. This illustrates the fundamental importance of mineral resources to the nation’s economy, technology, and national security,” stated Larry Meinert, USGS Mineral Resources Program Coordinator.

• Production levels grew for the majority of industrial mineral commodities mined in the US and prices remained relatively stable. Industrial mineral commodities include cement, clays, crushed stone, rock, salt, sand, gravel and soda ash.
• Production of most metals in 2013 was mostly in line with 2012. However, prices declined, lowering the overall value of metals produced. Domestically produced metals include copper, gold, iron, molybdenum and zinc.
• On a domestic level, raw materials and recycled materials were used to process mineral materials worth US$665 billion.
• The mine production of 14 mineral commodities was worth over US$1 billion each. In order of descending value, these commodities were crushed stone, gold, copper, cement, construction sand and gravel, shipped iron ore, molybdenum concentrates, phosphate rock, industrial sand and gravel, lime, soda ash, salt, zinc and all types of clays.
• Last year, Nevada, Arizona, Minnesota, Florida, Texas, Alaska, Utah, California, Wyoming, Missouri, Michigan and Colorado each produced over US$2 billion worth of non-fuel mineral commodities.
• The construction sector continued to recover in 2013, leading to high consumption of cement, construction sand and gravel, crushed stone and gypsum.

Highlights from the USGS Mineral Commodity Summary on cement can be found here.

The complete Mineral Commodity Summaries 2014 can be accessed here. It includes statistics on some 90 mineral commodities.

Adapted from USGS press release by Louise Fordham

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/the-americas/17032014/usgs_mineral_commodity_summaries_report_released_906/