GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE U.S. production and usage of minerals must be considered in the light of the total world situation. Over the past two decades world production of major processed materials of mineral origin has increased sharply, as shown by Fig. 3. While U.S. production has increased in quantitative terms, its relative role as a world consumer of mineral raw materials and as a world manufacturer of products of mineral origin has shrunk. The United States now produces only about one-fifth of the world's steel, one-fourth of its refined petroleum, and one-third of its aluminum metal. Many other minerals are used in proportion to steel, petroleum, and aluminum, and the same situation holds for them. Item 6 in each mineral profile in Appendix I gives details. Consequently, the United States is encountering steadily increasing competition in the acquisition of nondomestic mineral raw materials as other industrialized countries also seek reliable sources of reasonably-priced mineral raw materials. In addition, the United States is losing its competitive position in traditional products with large world markets and other industrialized nations are increasingly engaged in selling therein. Thus, our ability to pay for foreign mineral raw materials is diminished and our balance of trade and balance of payments problems are made worse. THE ROLE OF MINERALS MINERALS AND ENERGY ARE THE LIFEBLOOD OF OUR ECONOMY FIRST, THE U.S. EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES CONVERT "MINERAL RESOURCES" INTO "MINERAL RAW MATERIALS" VALUED AT $32 BILLION THEN, THE U.S. MINERAL PROCESSING INDUSTRIES CONVERT "MINERAL RAW MATERIALS" INTO "ENERGY AND PROCESSED MATERIALS OF VALUED AT OVER $150 BILLION The following pages review the 1972 position of the major segments of the mining, minerals, metal, mineral reclamation, and energy industries that account for the greatest part of the 4 billion tons and $150 billion value of production. All data are preliminary, and estimates have been made where necessary. The graphs show clearly the trends of the past two decades and our present position. |