30 EXPOR T S and TRADE Exporting US mining products has a signifcant positive impact on the nations balance of trade In 2018 US exports of raw and processed mineral materials totaled an estimated 95 billion according to the USGS American coal exports for 2018 were 115 million tons valued at about 12 billion In addition the United States is a signifcant exporter of mining machinery and equipment and has pioneered the development and commercialization of clean coal technologies for which a growing overseas market is possible in the near future Among major minerals the US is a leading world producer of beryllium diatomite gold helium soda ash trona and coal The most signifcant exported US mineral commodities include iron ore soda ash copper gold zinc titanium and cement Despit e the Unit ed Stat es abundant miner al supply in recent years the U S has increasingly relied on imports to meet its needs for some minerals particularly strategic and critical minerals T he US shar e of w orldwide in v estment in miner als mining has declined o v er the last 20 y ear s due t o a time c onsuming and highly inefcient permitting s y st em According to USGS data strategic mineral com modities for which the US imported more than half of its supply in 20 18 included titanium silv er zinc r ar e ear ths platinum and others see table page 3 2 Many of these strategic and critical minerals are crucial for manufacturing jet aircraft satellites communications equipment and other items vital for national security In recent years Americas import reliance on pr oc es sed miner al mat erials has risen to mor e than 15 2 billion annually according to USGS US coal is exported to more than 7 0 nations Major markets for American coal include India the Netherlands Japan South K or ea Br azil and Canada The US exports both steam coal for generating electricity and metallurgical coal used in the steelmaking process Metallurgical coal comprised about 53 percent of US coal exports in 20 18 with steam coal making up the remainder The United States tends to be a swing supplier in overseas steam coal markets increasing shipments when other lowercost competing exporting nations primar ily Colombia Indonesia Australia Rus sia and South A frica cannot meet demand f ast act T he US is rich in man y of the miner als it r equir es and is a major e xpor t er of some c ommodities including ir on or e soda ash c opper and c ement Expor ts of Select ed Miner al C ommodities and C oal 20 14 20 18 Metric T ons C ommodit y 20 14 20 15 20 16 20 17 20 18e C oal 9 7 25 7 000 73 9 58 000 60 2 7 1 000 96 9 53 000 115 632 000 Ir on Or e 12 100 000 8 0 30 000 8 77 0 000 10 600 000 13 000 000 Soda Ash T r ona 6 6 7 0 000 6 400 000 6 7 60 000 6 990 000 6 900 000 C opper 4 10 000 39 2 000 331 000 23 7 000 230 000 Zinc 6 44 000 7 08 000 5 9 7 000 68 2 000 87 00 0 0 C ement 1 404 000 1 288 000 1 283 000 1 0 35 000 1 000 000 L ead 35 7 000 350 000 34 1 000 2 6 9 000 3 7 00 0 0 Lime 320 000 346 000 329 000 391 000 350 000 Figures are rounded shor t t ons e estimated S ource U S Geological Surv e y Mineral Commodity Summaries 20 19 Energy Information Administration