Iron Ore Mining
Description
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in (1) developing mine sites, mining, and/or beneficiating (i.e., preparing) iron ores and manganiferous ores valued chiefly for their iron content and/or (2) producing sinter iron ore (except iron ore produced in iron and steel mills) and other iron ore agglomerates.
Hierarchy
| Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction 2-digit sector | The Sector as a Whole The Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction sector comprises establishments that extract naturally occurring mineral solids, such as coal and ores; liquid minerals, such as crude petroleum; and gases, such as natural gas. The term "mining" is used in the broad sense to include quarrying, well operations, beneficiating (e.g., crushing, screening, washing, and flotation), and other preparation customarily performed at the mine site, or as a part of mining activity. The Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction sector distinguishes two basic activities: mine operation and mining support activities. Mine operation includes establishments operating mines, quarries, or oil and gas wells on their own account or for others on a contract or fee basis. Mining support activities include establishments that perform exploration (except geophysical surveying and mapping) on a contract or fee basis and/or other mining services on a contract or fee basis (except mine site preparation, construction, and transportation activities). Establishments in the Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction sector are grouped and classified according to the natural resource mined or to be mined. Industries include establishments that develop and/or operate the mine site, extract the natural resources, beneficiate (i.e., prepare) the mineral mined, or provide mining support activities. Beneficiation is the process whereby the extracted material is reduced to particles that can be separated into mineral and waste, the former suitable for further processing or direct use. The operations that take place in beneficiation are primarily mechanical, such as grinding, washing, magnetic separation, and centrifugal separation. In contrast, manufacturing operations primarily use chemical and electrochemical processes, such as electrolysis and distillation. However, some treatments, such as heat treatments, take place in both the beneficiation and the manufacturing (i.e., smelting/refining) stages. The range of preparation activities varies by mineral and the purity of any given ore deposit. While some minerals, such as petroleum and natural gas, require little or no preparation, others are washed and screened, while yet others, such as gold and silver, can be transformed into bullion before leaving the mine site. Mining, beneficiating, and manufacturing activities often occur in a single location. Separate receipts will be collected for these activities whenever possible. When receipts cannot be broken out between mining and manufacturing, establishments that mine or quarry nonmetallic minerals, and then beneficiate the nonmetallic minerals into more finished manufactured products are classified based on the primary activity of the establishment. A mine that manufactures a small amount of finished products will be classified in Sector 21, Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction. An establishment that mines whose primary output is a more finished manufactured product will be classified in Sector 31-33, Manufacturing. |
| 212 | Mining (except Oil and Gas) 3-digit subsector | Industries in the Mining (except Oil and Gas) subsector primarily engage in mining, mine site development, and beneficiating (i.e., preparing) metallic minerals and nonmetallic minerals, including coal. The term "mining" is used in the broad sense to include ore extraction, quarrying, and beneficiating (e.g., crushing, screening, washing, sizing, concentrating, and flotation), customarily done at the mine site. Beneficiation is the process whereby the extracted material is reduced to particles which can be separated into mineral and waste, the former suitable for further processing or direct use. The operations that take place in beneficiation are primarily mechanical, such as grinding, washing, magnetic separation, centrifugal separation, and so on. In contrast, manufacturing operations primarily use chemical and electrochemical processes, such as electrolysis, distillation, and so on. However, some treatments, such as heat treatments, take place in both stages: the beneficiation and the manufacturing (i.e., smelting/refining) stages. The range of preparation activities varies by mineral and the purity of any given ore deposit. While some minerals, such as petroleum and natural gas, require little or no preparation, others are washed and screened, while yet others, such as gold and silver, can be transformed into bullion before leaving the mine site. Establishments in the Mining (except Oil and Gas) subsector include those that have complete responsibility for operating mines and quarries (except oil and gas wells) and those that operate mines and quarries (except oil and gas wells) for others on a contract or fee basis. Establishments primarily engaged in providing support services, on a contract or fee basis (except geophysical surveying and mapping, mine site preparation, construction, and transportation activities), required for the mining and quarrying of minerals are classified in Subsector 213, Support Activities for Mining. |
| 2122 | Metal Ore Mining 4-digit industry group | This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in developing mine sites or mining metallic minerals, and establishments primarily engaged in ore dressing and beneficiating (i.e., preparing) operations, such as crushing, grinding, washing, drying, sintering, concentrating, calcining, and leaching. Beneficiating may be performed at mills operated in conjunction with the mines served or at mills, such as custom mills, operated separately. |
| 21221 | Iron Ore Mining 5-digit NAICS industry | See industry description for 212210. |
| 212210 | Iron Ore Mining 6-digit U.S. detail | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in (1) developing mine sites, mining, and/or beneficiating (i.e., preparing) iron ores and manganiferous ores valued chiefly for their iron content and/or (2) producing sinter iron ore (except iron ore produced in iron and steel mills) and other iron ore agglomerates. |
Need a supply chain stack that maps to this industry?
Use this NAICS classification as the starting point, then connect it to Item workflows across inventory, warehousing, order management, fulfillment, and transportation.
Classification References
- 01Establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing pig iron ore are classified in Industry 331110, Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing.
Index Items
Agglomerates, iron ore, beneficiating
Briquets, iron, mining and/or beneficiating
Brown ore mining and/or beneficiating
Hematite mining and/or beneficiating
Iron ore (e.g., hematite, magnetite, siderite, taconite) mining and/or beneficiating
Iron ore agglomerates mining and/or beneficiating
Iron ore beneficiating plants (e.g., agglomeration, sintering)
Iron ore mine site development for own account
Iron ore, blocked, mining and/or beneficiating
Limonite mining and/or beneficiating
Manganiferous ores valued for iron content, mining and/or beneficiating
Siderite mining and/or beneficiating
Sintered iron ore produced at the mine
Taconite concentrates or agglomerates beneficiating
Taconite ores mining and/or beneficiating
How Item Can Help
Iron Ore Mining WMS optimizes the sorting and bulk loading of ore into haul trucks, ensuring precise inventory levels at pit locations and minimizing delays at loading faces.
OMs enables real-time coordination between mine operators, processing plants, and port terminals to manage the continuous flow of high-volume iron ore shipments efficiently.
TMS tools optimize the routing and scheduling of heavy haul trucks and railcars over long distances, reducing fuel consumption and improving on-time delivery rates to market hubs.
Item.com Tools
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 212210.
Iron Ore Institute
A trade association that represents the interests of iron ore producers and processors across North America and the Asia-Pacific region.
U.S. Census Bureau Iron Ore Mining Data
Official government statistics and industry analysis specifically for NAICS code 212210, including employment and production data.
National Mining Association
A directory and information hub offering industry insights, regulations, and resources focused on the mining sector including iron ore.
