Iron Ore

Previous Years’ Reviews

Iron Ore - 2010 Annual Review and Outlook

  • Highlights
    • Canadian shipments of iron ore increased 16.6% from 31.7 million tonnes (Mt) in 2009 to 37.0 Mt in 2010. During the same period, Canada’s total exports of iron ore increased only 5% from 31.1 Mt in 2009 to 32.5 Mt in 2010, while imports increased dramatically by 161% from their recession low of 3.1 Mt in 2009 to 8.1 Mt in 2010 (but this was still below the level of 9.1 Mt reached in 2008).
    • Iron ore was one of the commodity success stories after the 2008 global downturn, which affected the world’s, including China’s, steel industry. The years 2009, 2010, and early 2011 have set the stage for a favourable environment for the iron ore pricing mechanism, mergers and acquisitions, investments, and expansions. This has had a positive impact on Canada’s iron ore industry and has renewed interest in greenfield project development.
    • Major industry developments in 2010 included:

      In September, Tata Steel exercised its option in its joint venture with Canada's New Millennium Capital Corp. to acquire an 80% stake in New Millennium’s direct-shipping iron ore project located near Schefferville, Quebec. Tata Steel paid New Millennium $300 million in capital costs for the project in exchange for 100% of its iron ore at world market prices for the life of the mining operation.

      In July, Labrador Iron Mines Holdings announced it had received approval from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for the construction of mining facilities in western Labrador and northeastern Quebec near Schefferville. Full-scale commercial production is targeted for the summer of 2011.
  • Canadian Production
  • Canadian Developments
  • World Production
  • World Developments
  • Markets and Prices
  • Trade
  • Outlook

Iron Ore - Other Information

  • Introduction to Iron Ore
  • History of  Iron Ore Mining in Canada
  • Uses
  • Health and the Environment
  • Other Sources of Information

Maps/Graphs

  • Figure 1. Canadian Iron Ore Operations, Projects, and Ports, 2010
  • Figure 2. Canadian Iron Ore Statistics and Trends, 1988-2010
  • Figure 3. Canadian Agglomerated Export Markets, By Region, 2010
  • Figure 4. Canadian Non-Agglomerated Export Markets, By Region, 2010

Statistical Tables

  • Tariffs
  • Table 1. Canada, Iron Ore Production and Trade, 2008-10
  • Table 2. Iron Ore World Production, Shipment, Gross Weight, by Country, 2007-09
  • Table 3. World’s Largest Producers of Iron Ore, as of January 2010
  • Table 4. World Iron Ore Price Trend, f.o.b. Australian Port, 2001-10
  • Table 5. China’s Iron Ore Imports, by Country of Origin, 2010

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