Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. has been a major supplier to the production of iron and steel in the U.S. by offering steelmakers world-class raw materials. Today, Cliffs continues to be a leading iron ore mining company and operator.  Pioneers in developing the beneficiation and pelletizing process, the Company holds the top position as the largest iron ore producer of pellets in North America, as well as one of the lowest cost producers in the world.  Cliffs’ technical knowledge and expertise has helped the company to foster strong relationships with steel producers through the years.

Cliffs’ U.S. Iron Ore operations located in Michigan and Minnesota had an annual rate capacity of 32.9 million tons of iron ore pellet production in 2015, which represents approximately 56 percent of total U.S. pellet production capacity. Cliffs owns and operates five of the eight open pit iron ore mining and processing facilities in the U.S.  While most iron ore producers mine, market and sell a commoditized product to steel producers, Cliffs’ production of high-grade, custom-made pellets is the differentiating factor when comparing the Company to its peers in the iron ore industry. As a differentiated mining company, Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. is uniquely positioned to satisfy the requirements of its North American steelmaking customers. Its high-grade, premium pellets are customized for and fed directly to its customers’ blast furnaces and are produced under the most stringent environmental regulatory framework in the world. Thanks to its long-term partnerships with North American steelmakers, Cliffs operates under stable contracts, serving the growing end-markets for steel such as automotive, construction, white goods and manufacturing.