SALT (Data in thousand metric tons, unless noted) Domestic Production and Use: Domestic production of salt increased an estimated 9% in 1995, with total value exceeding an estimated $960 million. Twenty-seven companies operated 67 plants in 14 States. The estimated percentage of salt sold or used, by type, was salt in brine, 46%; rock salt, 36%; vacuum pan, 9%; and solar salt, 9%. The chemical industry consumed about 39% of total salt sales, with salt brine representing about 88% of the type of salt used for feedstock. Chlorine and caustic soda manufacture was the main consuming sector within the chemical industry. Salt for highway deicing accounted for 35% of U.S. demand. The remaining markets for salt, in declining order, were distributors, 10%; food and agricultural, 6%; general industrial, 6%; primary water treatment, 1%; and other, 3%. Salient Statistics--United States:1/ 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995e/ Production 36,300 36,000 39,200 39,800 43,300 Sold or used by producers 35,900 34,800 38,200 39,500 42,300 Imports for consumption 6,190 5,390 5,870 9,630 8,000 Exports 1,780 992 688 742 825 Consumption, apparent 40,300 39,200 43,400 48,400 49,500 Price, average value of bulk, pellets and packaged salt, dollars per ton, f.o.b. mine and plant: Vacuum and open pan salt 114.75 113.20 111.97 114.24 115.00 Solar salt 27.78 32.56 34.51 34.77 37.00 Rock salt 19.25 19.63 20.28 22.33 22.00 Salt from brine 5.45 4.35 5.24 5.40 6.00 Stocks, producer, yearende/ 2/ 414 1,230 1,000 300 1,000 Employment, mine and plant 4,150 4,150 4,150 4,150 4,150 Net import reliance3/ as a percent of apparent consumption 11 11 12 18 15 Recycling: None. Import Sources (1991-94): Canada, 46%; Mexico, 25%; Bahamas, 13%; Chile, 10%; and other, 6%. Tariff: Item Number Most favored nation (MFN) Non-MFN4/ 12/31/95 12/31/95 Iodized salt 2501.00.0000 Free 26% ad val. Depletion Allowance: 10% (Domestic), 10% (Foreign). Government Stockpile: None. Events, Trends, and Issues: After 18 months of continuous flooding, the Retsof, NY, rock salt mine, which was the largest underground room-and-pillar mine in the Western Hemisphere, officially closed on September 11, 1995. In anticipation of a potential supply shortage during the winter months of 1996, about 2.3 million tons of rock salt were stockpiled on the surface ready for use. The company planned to replace the mine, which had an annual capacity of 3.6 millions tons, with another underground rock salt mine of similar capacity at Hampton Corners in Groveland, NY. The new mine was scheduled to be operational in 1997. A mine accident occurred at an underground rock salt operation in the St. Magdalen Islands, Quebec, Canada. Ocean water entered the mine around the mine shaft and continued to flood until mine engineers stabilized the waterflow. Efforts were still underway by yearend to save the mine, which had an annual capacity of about 1.2 millions tons. Prepared by Dennis S. Kostick, (703) 648-7715. SALT A vacuum pan salt facility at Manistee, MI, closed in November after many years of production. To counter this loss, a new refined salt operation was announced in Tennessee where high-quality salt will be recovered as a byproduct from a titanium dioxide facility. Discharged waste containing iron chloride and hydrochloric acid will be treated with soda ash to produce iron carbonate, which can be used in water treatment chemicals, and sodium chloride. The domestic chloralkali industry, which uses substantial quantities of salt, operated at nearly 100% of production capacity throughout the year. Most of the output was for polyvinyl chloride and vinyl chloride monomer manufacture, particularly for shipment overseas. Despite the negative discussions about the harmful affects of chlorine in the environment, consumption remained strong with demand forecast to grow 1.5% to 2.0% annually. A downturn in Japanese synthetic soda ash production slated for 1996 probably will not result in a decline in salt usage as Japanese chlorine manufacturers increase capacity, thereby requiring additional salt supplies in the near future. The outlook for the domestic salt industry is optimistic for the next few years depending on the severity of this winter's weather. Many climatologists were forecasting below-normal temperatures and the likelihood of adverse conditions that would require deicing salt. World Production, Reserves, and Reserve Base: Production Reserves and reserve base5/ 1994 1995e/ United States1/ (sold or used) 39,500 42,300 Large. Economic and Australia 7,800 8,000 subeconomic deposits of Brazil 5,250 5,500 salt are substantial in Canada 11,500 11,100 principal salt-producing China 29,700 30,000 countries. The oceans France 5,440 5,500 comprise an inexhaustible Germany 12,700 13,000 supply of salt. India 9,500 9,500 Italy 3,100 3,500 Mexico 7,460 7,500 Poland 3,800 3,800 Russia 3,000 3,400 Spain 3,400 3,500 Ukraine 3,500 3,500 United Kingdom 5,700 5,600 Other countries 28,700 29,300 World total (may be rounded) 180,000 185,000 World Resources: World resources of salt are practically unlimited. Domestic resources of rock salt and salt from brine are in the Northeast, Central Western, and southern Gulf Coast States. Saline lakes and solar evaporation salt facilities are near populated regions in the Western United States. Almost every country in the world has salt deposits or solar evaporation operations of various sizes. Substitutes: There are no economic substitutes or alternates for salt. Calcium chloride and calcium magnesium acetate, hydrochloric acid, and potassium chloride can be substituted for salt in deicing, certain chemical processes, and food flavoring, but at a higher cost. e/Estimated. 1/Excludes Puerto Rico. 2/Reported stock data are incomplete. For apparent consumption and net import reliance calculations, changes in annual stock totals are assumed to be the difference between salt production and salt sold or used. 3/Defined as imports - exports + adjustments for Government and industry stock changes. 4/See Appendix B. 5/See Appendix C for definitions. Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 1996