Table Of ContentThe Pennsylvania State College
The Graduate School
Department of Mineral Engineering
Mineral Developments in Latin America and the
Economy of.the Western Hemisphere
V V- -i- -L •. I
A dissertation
by
Enrique 0. Monge G.
Submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements
for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
June 1952
Approved:
S'A^/sZ-,________
DalBe 7 ef, Division eral Economics
S ' - *2 t- ~ S' J a )
Date Head, Department of Mineral Engineering
S- 3—
jL4
Date Dean, School of ustries
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The writer wishes to express his deep gratitude tos
Professor D. R. Mitchell, Head, Department of Mineral
Engineering, for his assistance, helpful suggestions
and encouragement;
Dr. A. W. Gauger, Director, Mineral Industries Experiment
Station for his guidance and moral support;
Dr. W. M. J$rers, former Chief, Division of Mineral
Economics, who inspired this study;
Dr. John D. Ridge, Chief, and John J. Sch&nz, Jr.,
Instructor, Division of Mineral Economics, who have
provided me with all the necessary facilities for the
completion of this work;
to my friends and to everyone who has contributed
directly or indirectly to this study for their never-
ending encouragement and moral support; and to
Mrs. Alice M. Cole, who typed out the final manuscript.
I N T R O D U C T I O N
The last twenty-year period from the depression of the thirties
to 1950» has seen a tremendous growth in Latin America*3 mineral industries.
During World War II, the Latin American Republics emerged as the chief
mineral suppliers of the United States. In this period a policy of world
investment, conservation of mineral resources, stockpile of strategic
minerals and peacetime war economy became established In the United States.
During the same period a policy of industrialisation, nationalization and
block integration developed in the Latin American Republics. All these
elements regarded from the point of view of minerals, form the general
frame of "Mineral Developments in Latin America and the Economy of the
Western Hemisphere"•
The subject of the dissertation is divided in three parts. The
first part includes the following chapters* General Economy of Latin
America, Mineral Situation in Latin America, Mineral Situation in the
United States and Mineral Position of the Western Hemisphere. The second
part deals with production, deposits, reserves, and trade of minerals in
Latin America, and contains the following chapters: Strategic Metallic
Minerals, Strategic Non-metallic Minerals, Critical Minerals, and Other
Industrial Minerals. The third part is devoted to Conclusions and Recom
mendations and includes some suggestions of the writer regarding the problems
of supply of strategic minerals for the United States and a program of
mineral development for the Latin American Republics.
The principal sources of information for the writer have been
the publica* ions of the U. S. Bureau of Mines, the TJ. S. Tariff Commission,
and the Mines Departments of the Latin American Governments. Other
important sources of information have been the bulletins and reports of the
Pan American Union, the United Nations, the Fan American Institute of
Mining Engineering and Geology, and the publications of the American
Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers. The discussion of the
mineral situation and mineral policies has been consulted from published
documents of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations of the U. S. 81st
Congress; from resolutions approved at the Conferences of American States
and Meetings of Foreign Ministers of the American Republics; and from papers
and studies of Elmer W. Perhson, Regional Director of the Foreign Region,
and Charles Will Wright, Chief Foreign Minerals Specialist of the TJ. S.
Bureau of Mines.
Most of the tabulated information corresponds to the period
1940—1948; however, many of the principal developments taken place before
or after this period has been taken into consideration in the information
and discussion when they were available to the writer.
1
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
PART I LATIN AMERICA, THE UNITED STATES AND THE
WESTERN HEMISPHERE 1
A. General Economy of Latin America 2
Population and Land 3
Agriculture A
Natural Productions 5 - 6
Mining - Manufacturing -
Service Industries 7
Mineral Industries 9- 1 1
Power Resources 12
Foreign Trade 13 - 14
B. Mineral Situation in Latin America 15
Mineral Fosition
Mining Development 16 - 17
Industrial Possibilities 18
Mineral Production 1 9 — 24-
Foreign Investments 25
Taxation System 26 - 27
Labor Regulations 28
Exchange Controls 29-30
Nationality of Investors 31
Government Intervention 32 - 36
C. Mineral Situation in the United States 37
Mineral Fosition
38
Mineral Policy
ii
Page
Reserves and Exploration
Tariffs and Subsidies 39
Investment Regulations
Taxes, Wages and Supplies
Anti-trust Laws
Depletion and Taxes 40
Internal and External Competition
Nationalization Trend 41
Dependence on Foreign Supply
of Minerals
Stockpile Program 42
D* Mipft-riT Position of the Western Hemisphere 43
The Western Hemisphere 44
Mineral Self-Sufficiency 45
Strategic and Critical Minerals 46
Sources of Supply 4-7
Mineral Supply from Latin America 4-8
Pan American Agreements 49
Point Four Program 50 - 51
Post-War Foreign Aid 52
Loans from the World Bank
and the Export-Import Bank 52 - 53
Recent Developments in Latin America 54 ~ 56
Trend of Industrialization 57 - 59
ill
Efl&g
PART II GRE DEPOSITS, MINES AND MINERAL DEVELOPMENTS
IN LATIN AMERICA, AND MINERAL PRODUCTION AND
TRADE IN AMERICA 60
A. Strategic Metallic Minerals in Latin America 61 - 62
General Information 63 - 65
Latin American Production and Trade
with the United States 66
Geographic Distribution 67 - 70
Antimony: Production and Trade 71
Information by Countries 72 - 78
Bismuth: Production and Trade 79
Information by Countries 80 - 81
Cadmium: Production and Trade 82
Information by Countries 83
Cobalt: Production, and Trade 84
Information by Countries 85
Copper: Production and Trade 86-87
Information by Countries 88 - 102
Lead: Production and Trade H O <*\ 1 H O
Information by Countries HOm HH
1
Manganese: Production and Trade h a - 116
Information by Countries 117 - 126
Mercury: Production and Trade 127 - 128
Information by Countries 129 - 131
Nickel: Production and Trade 132
Information by Countries 133 - 134
Platinum: Production and Trade 135 - 136
Platinum in Colombia 137
Tin: Production and Trade 138 - 139
Information by Countries 140 - 148
Tungsten: Production and Trade 149 - 150
Information by Countries 151 - 157
It
Vanadium: Production and Trad© 158
Information by Countries 159 - 162
Zinc: Production and Trad© 163 - 165
Information by Countries 166 - 171
8. Strategic Non-Metallic Minerals in Latin America 172 - 173
General Information 3.74 - 178
Latin American Production and
Trade with the United States 179
Geographic Distribution 180 - 183
Asbestos: Production and Trad© 184
Information by Countries 185 - 186
Bauxite: Production and Trade 187 - 188
Information by Countries 189 - 196
Beryllium: Production and Trade 197 - 198
Information by Countries 199
Celestite: Production and Trade 200
Celestite in Mexico 201
Chromite: Production and Trad© 201 - 202
Information by Countries 203 - 205
Columbite & Production and Trade 206
Tantalite: Information by Countries 207
Corundum: Production and Trad© 208
Corundum in Brazil 209
Diamonds: Production and Trad© 210 - 211
Information by Countries 212 - 215
Graphite: Production and Trade 216 - 217
Information by Countries 218
Iodine: Production and Trade
Iodine in Chile 219
Kyanite: Production and Trad©
Kyanite in Latin America 220
T
Page
Mica: Production and Trade 221 - 222
Information by Countries 223 - 226
Mon&zite: Production and Trade 227
Monazite in Brazil 228
Quartz Production and Trade 229
Crystals: Information by Countries 230 - 232
Titanium: Production and Trade 233 - 234
Information by Countries 235
Talc: Production and Trade 236
Information by Countries 237
Zirconium: Production and Trade 238
Zirconium in Brazil 239 - 240
Critical Mineral in Latin America 2U - 242
General Information 243 - 245
Latin American Production and
Trade with the United States 246
Barite: Production and Trade 247 - 248
Information by Countries 250 - 251
Fluorspar: Production and Trade 252 - 253
Information by Countries 254
Iron Ore: Production and Trade 255 - 256
Information by Countries 257 - 270
Pig Iron Production and Trade 271 - 272
& Steel: Information by Countries 273 - 286
Magnesite: Production and Trade 287 - 288
Information by Countries 289
Molybdenum: Production and Trade 290
Information by Countries 291 - 292
Petroleum & Production and Trade 293 - 297
Oil Products:Information by Countries 298 - 333
Natural Gass Production and Trade 334
Information by Countries 335 - 336
vl
Selenium: Production and Trade
Selenium in Bolivia
and Mexico 337
Telluriums Production and Trade
Tellurium in Peru 338
Indiums Production and Trade
Indium in Peru 338
Radioactive Production and Trade
Minerals: Radioactive Minerals
in Latin America 339 340
D. Other Mineral Fuels, Industrial Minerals,
and Mineral Products in Latin America 341 342
General Information 343 347
Latin American Production and
Trade with the United States 348
Geographic Distribution 349 352
Coal: Production and Trade 353 357
Information by Countries 358 366
Coke: Production and Trade 367 369
Information by Countries 370
Asphalt: Production and Trade 371 372
Information by Countries 373 374
Cement: Production and Trade 375 377
Information by Countries 378 390
Gypsum: Production and Trade 391 393
Information by Countries 394
Lime: General Information
Production and Trade 395
Marble Production and Trade 396
& Onyx: Information by Countries 397
Nitrates Production and Trade 398
Information by Countries 399 403
Phosphate Production and Trade 404 405
Rock: Information by Countries 406 409
