U.S. Salt Sales

U.S. SALT SALES

The U.S. is the world's top salt producer with several dozen production sites.

There are three types of salt, each produced by its own production technology: rock salt, solar salt and evaporated salt.
Rock salt sales are volatile; most rock salt is used for winter highway maintenance.
Higher purity, packaged (often evap salt) products command higher prices.

US Salt Sales 1978-2007 - by technology (tons) U.S. Salt Sales, 1978-2007 (millions of tons) U.S. Salt Sales, 1978-2007 (revenues)

Year	Dollars ($)	Tons
JULY 1, 1977- JUNE 30, 1978	487,165,600	24,586,000
JULY 1, 1978 - JUNE 30, 1979	537,642,000	24,944,200
JULY 1, 1979 - JUNE 30, 1980	479,483,300	21,728,400
JULY 1, 1980 - JUNE 30, 1981	580,340,100	20,505,100
JULY 1, 1981 - JUNE 30, 1982	635,872,000	22,920,000
JULY 1, 1982 - JUNE 30, 1983	612,493,900	19,279,800
JULY 1, 1983 - JUNE 30, 1984	670,059,100	22,769,100
JULY 1, 1984 - JUNE 30, 1985	719,036,700	23,691,700
JULY 1, 1985 - JUNE 30, 1986	741,699,800	24,217,600
JULY 1, 1986 - JUNE 30, 1987	693,571,000	21,964,200
1987 CALENDAR	708,538,600	22,553,000
JULY 1, 1987 - JUNE 30, 1988	721,027,000	24,824,800
1988 CALENDAR	736,699,700	24,742,100
JULY 1, 1988 - JUNE 30, 1989	771,328,800	23,964,200
1989 CALENDAR	840,785,560	25,955,350
1990 CALENDAR	888,192,500	24,684,600
1991 CALENDAR	910,062,700	23,807,100
1992 CALENDAR	895,985,400	22,222,200
1993 CALENDAR	1,022,484,800	28,942,100
1994 CALENDAR	1,168,241,300	31,560,400
1995 CALENDAR	1,088,364,000	27,003.300
1996 CALENDAR	1,276,451,000	32,888,400
1997 CALENDAR	1,209,000,000	29,400,000
1998 CALENDAR	1,033,897,200	22,646,400
1999 CALENDAR	1,145,060,500	28,212,700
2000 CALENDAR	1,158,121,000	29,934,400
2001 CALENDAR	1,181,343,200	28,413,200
2002 CALENDAR	1,175,477,000	24,507,100
2003 CALENDAR	1,332,204,800	30,602,600
2004 CALENDAR	1,272,048,500	27,664,000
2005 CALENDAR	1,472,685,600	32,055,200
2006 CALENDAR	1,301,797,000	23,102,800
2007 CALENDAR	1,676,199,700	31,695,100

Salt sales by major use category

Highway Salt

U.S. Highway Salt Sales, 1978-2007 (000 tons)

Year	Dollars ($000s)	Tons (000s)
1940*		164
1941*		194
1942*		211
1943*		296
1944*		228
1945*		318
1946		320
1947		474
1948		461
1949		412
1950		591
1951		785
1952		800
1953		721
1954		1,104
1955		1,272
1956		1,494
1957		1,456
1958		1,500
1959		2,000
1960		2,220
1961		2,127
1962		3,060
1963		3,707
1964		3,975
1965		4,536
1966		4,133
1967		6,500
1968		6,750
1969		7,750
1970	65,831	8,855
1971	67,590	9,584
1972	58,478	8,721
1973	50,646	8,420
1974	57,038	8,629
1975	63,144	9,493
1976	73,688	9,937
1977	83,904	10,072
7/77-6/78	97,780	10,927
7/78-6/79	121,237	11,323
7/79-6/80	114,086	8,108
7/80-6/81	93,583	7,240
7/81-6/82	103,624	9,787
7/82-6/83	194,241	7,267
7/83-6/84	126,262	10,329
7/84-6/85	157,313	10,730
7/85-6/86	174,673	11,057
7/86-6/87	134,459	9,462
1987 Calendar	132,026	9,573
7/87-6/88	146,232	11,147
1988 Calendar	156,071	11,202
7/88-6/89	147,768	10,181
1989 Calendar	179,749	11,227
1990 Calendar	189,022	10,528
1991 Calendar	176,349	9,730
1992 Calendar	192,801	10,457
1993 Calendar	304,626	17,126
1994 Calendar	408,417	18,885
1995 Calendar	320,910	14,427
1996 Calendar	479,394	20,117
1997 Calendar	378,901	16,369
1998 Calendar	218,823	10,196
1999 Calendar	328,350	15,690
2000 Calendar	365,146	18,101
2001 Calendar	362,350	16,845
2002 Calendar	336,553	13,391
2003 Calendar	479,431	19,359
2004 Calendar	388,836	16,014
2005 Calendar	543,214	20,483
2006 Calendar	307,763	12,129
2007 Calendar	585,700	20,252

* 1940-45 data, US Bureau of Mines; all others, Salt Institute

Human Nutrition Salt

U.S. Food Grade Salt Sales, 1978-2007 (000 tons)

Year	Dollars ($000s)	Tons (000s)
7/77-6/78	98,303	1,003
7/78-6/79	102,384	1,003
7/79-6/80	112,313	943
7/80-6/81	117,312	909
7/81-6/82	125,547	911
7/82-6/83	121,724	844
7/83-6/84	119,647	877
7/84-6/85	120,307	886
7/85-6/86	118,296	906
7/86-6/87	115,497	912
1987 Calendar	120,612	961
7/87-6/88	123,333	990
1988 Calendar	124,843	993
7/88-6/89	131,545	1,037
1989 Calendar	135,407	1,070
1990 Calendar	146,883	1,123
1991 Calendar	156,953	1,134
1992 Calendar	165,138	1,273
1993 Calendar	168,656	1,278
1994 Calendar	173,827	1,326
1995 Calendar	180,682	1,354
1996 Calendar	187,396	1,375
1997 Calendar	190,102	1,414
1998 Calendar	205,620	1,573
1999 Calendar	204,548	1,540
2000 Calendar	199,620	1,527
2001 Calendar	212,092	1,533
2002 Calendar	219,536	1,521
2003 Calendar	229,472	1.559
2004 Calendar	233,431	1,571
2005 Calendar	242,402	1,586
2006 Calendar	259,714	1,563
2007 Calendar	286,860	1,562

Water Conditioning Salt

U.S. Water Conditioning Salt Sales, 1978-2007 (000 tons)

Year	Dollars ($000s)	Tons (000s)
7/77-6/78	78,947	2,305
7/78-6/79	87,774	2,386
7/79-6/80	98,354	1,855
7/80-6/81	99,154	1,722
7/81-6/82	108,996	1,930
7/82-6/83	114,593	1,940
7/83-6/84	118,234	1,764
7/84-6/85	134,797	2,047
7/85-6/86	143,731	2,314
7/86-6/87	141,982	2,042
1987 Calendar	142,444	2,107
7/87-6/88	143,248	2,225
1988 Calendar	153,647	2,260
7/88-6/89	164,197	2,279
1989 Calendar	160,057	2,343
1990 Calendar	181,316	2,261
1991 Calendar	197,978	2,368
1992 Calendar	212,993	2,370
1993 Calendar	222,686	2,420
1994 Calendar	240,589	2,592
1995 Calendar	245,919	2,557
1996 Calendar	260,956	2,790
1997 Calendar	284,152	3,119
1998 Calendar	285,642	2,986
1999 Calendar	294,987	3,308
2000 Calendar	289,612	3,066
2001 Calendar	300,735	3,305
2002 Calendar	314,809	3,220
2003 Calendar	321,571	3,253
2004 Calendar	332,018	3,514
2005 Calendar	358,931	3,704
2006 Calendar	385,547	3,590
2007 Calendar	400,966	3,493

Animal Nutrition Salt

U.S. Agricultural Salt Sales, 1978-2007 (000 tons)

Year	Dollars ($000s)	Tons (000s)
7/77-6/78	73,944	1,980
7/78-6/79	70,641	1,820
7/79-6/80	77,620	1,777
7/80-6/81	88,033	1,890
7/81-6/82	101,838	1,869
7/82-6/83	97,758	1,889
7/83-6/84	99,169	1,793
7/84-6/85	81,988	1,603
7/85-6/86	83,856	1,648
7/86-6/87	78,065	1,540
1987 Calendar	82,655	1,669
7/87-6/88	84,009	1,694
1988 Calendar	84,133	1,647
7/88-6/89	86,756	1,683
1989 Calendar	90,491	1,702
1990 Calendar	100,011	1,901
1991 Calendar	105,513	1,942
1992 Calendar	87,395	1,739
1993 Calendar	89,530	1,829
1994 Calendar	96,479	1,988
1995 Calendar	90,415	1,836
1996 Calendar	93,098	1,804
1997 Calendar	96,251	1,834
1998 Calendar	86,684	1,739
1999 Calendar	91,035	1,806
2000 Calendar	91,274	1,838
2001 Calendar	92,367	1,816
2002 Calendar	91,601	1,676
2003 Calendar	86,348	1,600
2004 Calendar	87,263	1,616
2005 Calendar	92,445	1,646
2006 Calendar	96,207	1,517
2007 Calendar	110,887	1,627

Chemical Salt

U.S. Chemical Salt Sales, 1978-2007 (000 tons, dry salt)

Year	Dollars ($000s)	Tons (000s)
7/77-6/78	37,450	4,114
7/78-6/79	41,718	4,197
7/79-6/80	49,575	4,328
7/80-6/81	55,328	4,361
7/81-6/82	52,873	3,825
7/82-6/83	48,822	3,313
7/83-6/84	55,570	3,335
7/84-6/85	61,371	3,690
7/85-6/86	55,652	3,549
7/86-6/87	58,733	3,390
1987 Calendar	54,068	3,346
7/87-6/88	55,705	3,452
1988 Calendar	56,972	3,433
7/88-6/89	63,702	3,641
1989 Calendar	68,741	3,873
1990 Calendar	73,473	3,832
1991 Calendar	65,457	3,152
1992 Calendar	67,675	2,563
1993 Calendar	64,166	2,631
1994 Calendar	63,013	2,735
1995 Calendar	67,892	3,049
1996 Calendar	72,451	3,373
1997 Calendar	73,726	3,424
1998 Calendar	65,206	3,321
1999 Calendar	56,993	2,867
2000 Calendar	51,088	2,567
2001 Calendar	51,461	2,266
2002 Calendar	50,319	2,184
2003 Calendar	53,537	2,268
2004 Calendar	59,278	2,350
2005 Calendar	58,959	2,024
2006 Calendar	60,398	1,886
2007 Calendar	69,093	2,100

These are Salt Institute data and apply to U.S. sales of dry salt by our members. The U.S. Geological Survey has recent and historical data on U.S. salt production and use.

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