Stocks of iron ore at Lake Erie ports.-The stocks of iron ore at the Lake Erie ports at the close of navigation on December 31, 1908, exceeded those of the same date in 1907 by more than 1,000,000 tons. The 1907 stock itself exceeded the average stock for the five preceding years by about 1,000,000 tons.

The stock of ore on hand at the ports on May 1, 1909, was slightly less than that at the same date in 1908, thus showing the consumption of over 1,000,000 tons of ore during the intervening time in excess of the consumption during the same period in 1908.

The following tables, taken from the Iron Trade Review contain data as to the stock of iron ore on hand at the Lake Erie ports on December 31, 1908, and on May 1, 1909. For comparison the stocks of iron ore on similar dates for the five preceding years are given:

Stock of iron ore at lower lake ports, December 1, 1903–1908, in long tons.a

Stock of iron ore at lower lake ports, May 1, 1904–1909, in long tons.a

Prices of Lake Superior iron ores. In the following table are given the prices of Lake Superior iron ores at the lower lake ports during 1907 and 1908. A reduction in price took place on June 15, 1908, of $0.50 per ton for all classes of ore, which is still in effect.

The base for the Bessemer ores is a metallic iron content of 55 per cent; that of the non-Bessemer ores is a metallic iron content of 51.5 per cent.

Prices per long ton of Lake Superior iron ores at lower lake ports, 1907–8.

The quantity of iron ore imported into the United States during 1908 was less than the importation during any year since 1899, with the exception of the year 1904 when the imports dropped very low. About three-fourths of the imports were from Cuba, about one-sixth from Spain, and the bulk of the rest was from Newfoundland. The statistics with regard to imports are furnished by the Bureau of Statistics of the Department of Commerce and Labor.

In the following table are shown the imports of iron ore from the various countries from 1905 to 1908, inclusive:

Quantity and value of iron ores imported into the United States, 1905–1908, by countries,

The following table shows the imports of iron ore into the United States from 1905 to 1908, inclusive, by ports of entry:

Quantity and value of iron ores imported into the United States, 1905-1908, by customs districts, in long tons.

845,651 2,062, 161 1,060,390 2,967,434 1,229,168 3,937,483 776, 898 2,224,248

In the following table is shown the importation of iron ore into the United States as far as has been recorded. Iron ore was imported from Europe in large quantities for the first time in 1879, most of the ore prior to that date coming from Canada.

Imports of iron ore into the United States, 1872-1908, in long tons.

EXPORTS.

The quantity of iron ore exported from the United States in 1908 amounted to 309,099 long tons, a slight increase over iron-ore exports in 1907.

In the following table is shown the exportation of iron ores from the United States by customs districts from 1905 to 1908, inclusive. The data regarding exports are collected by the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor.

Quantity and value of iron ores exported from the United States, 1905–1908, by customs districts, in long tons.

208,017 530,457 265,240 771,839 278,608 763, 422 309,099 1,012, 924

The quantity of iron ore exported from the United States, as far as has been recorded, is shown in the following table:

The iron ores which have been mined in Cuba up to the present time consist largely of hematite and magnetite and are obtained near Santiago, in the Province of Oriente (Santiago). Recently large deposits of brown ore have been attracting considerable attention, especially those of the Mayari and Moa fields in Oriente Province and those of the Cubitas field in Camaguey Province. No ores of this type have been mined, however.

The following table shows the shipments of iron ore from Cuba since the opening of the mines in 1884. The statistics of the Cuban iron-ore production were collected by the United States Geological Survey.

Shipments of iron ore from mines in the province of Oriente (Santiago), 1884–1908, in long

The latest available statistics with regard to the world's production of iron ore are shown in the following table. Of the figures in this table, those of the United States, Great Britain, Cuba, Canada, and Australia are in long tons; those of the other countries are in metric tons.

World's production of iron ore in 1906 and 1907, by countries.