Description

This book examines the 2011 edition of U.S. Geological Survey's Mineral Commodity Summaries (MCS), which includes information on events, trends and issues for each mineral commodity as well as discussions and tabular presentations on domestic industry structure, government programs, tariffs, 5-year salient statistics and world production and resources. In 2010, the value of mineral production increased in the United States, suggesting that the domestic non-fuel minerals industries, especially the metallic minerals industries, were beginning to feel the effects of recovery from the economic recession that began in December 2007 and lasted well into 2009. Some major mining sectors continued to struggle, however, with no increase in production or value of production.