North America is the core of Cliffs’ business. Pellets from our operations are currently being consumed by nearly all North American integrated steel producers, and virtually 100 percent of our current annual North American pellet capacity is committed under long-term contracts.
As the nation’s largest supplier of iron ore pellets to the integrated steel industry, we operate six iron ore mines located in Michigan, Minnesota, and Eastern Canada with the capacity to produce 37 million tons of pellets annually. Based on its percentage ownership of the mines it operates, Cliffs' share of rated capacity is currently 23 million tons annually, representing approximately 28 percent of total North American annual pellet capacity.
