Table 17.--Blast furnace production of hot metal and pig iron in the United States --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blast furnace Number of Total number production1/ blast furnaces of blast (Thousand operating at furnaces Year metric tons) yearend available --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1965---------- 80,020 144 236 1966---------- 82,814 161 235 1967---------- 78,743 168 228 1968---------- 80,528 146 227 1969---------- 86,185 164 228 1970---------- 82,820 149 220 1971---------- 73,829 115 217 1972---------- 80,627 144 217 1973---------- 91,914 160 214 1974---------- 86,615 138 204 1975---------- 72,322 110 191 1976---------- 78,787 100 184 1977---------- 73,930 110 183 1978---------- 79,551 119 172 1979---------- 78,902 102 166 1980---------- 62,323 86 159 1981---------- 66,909 64 129 1982---------- 39,319 33 124 1983---------- 44,243 50 112 1984---------- 47,138 46 93 1985---------- 45,326 47 91 1986---------- 40,176 32 89 1987---------- 43,824 49 87 1988---------- 50,571 50 84 1989---------- 50,687 48 83 1990---------- 49,668 46 79 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/U.S. Bureau of Mines Yearbook, Iron and Steel chapter, for 1965 to 1987. Beginning in 1988, data are from the American Iron and Steel Institute, Annual and December Statistical Reports.