CECAEN Rev 3
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Sections Correlation Guide About the Project Contact
Group 071

Mining of iron ores

This category includes the extraction of iron ores from natural deposits, as well as the processes of preparing them for use in the steel industry. Essentially, it is the first stage in the steel production chain – from extracting the ore from the ground to obtaining a pure concentrate ready for smelting.

Included Activities & Applicability

  • ✅ Mining of iron ores Activities for the preparation and enrichment of iron ores
  • ✅ including crushing
  • ✅ grinding
  • ✅ magnetic separation and flotation

Excluded Activities & Restrictions

  • ❌ Mining of non-ferrous metal ores (including gold
  • ❌ copper
  • ❌ aluminium
  • ❌ etc.) Operation of coal quarries or other solid non-ferrous minerals Further processing of iron and steel (steel industry) Mining prospecting and exploration activities (considered separately)

Subordinate Structure

0710 Mining of iron ores
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Detailed Analysis & Commercial Insights

Mining of iron ores, classified under CAEN division 071, represents a strategic industrial segment for the global economy, having a direct impact on steel production and, implicitly, on infrastructure, construction and heavy industry. In Romania, this activity has had a turbulent history, with significant exploitations in areas such as Hunedoara and Caraș-Severin, but which recorded a sharp decline after 1990 due to the closure of non-competitive mines and lack of investments. At the macroeconomic level, the ferrous mining industry contributes to the trade balance through massive imports of ore needed by local steel plants, such as Liberty Galați. The main challenges for entrepreneurs include high extraction costs, fluctuations in global ore prices and compliance with increasingly strict environmental standards. However, there are opportunities in modernising processing technologies and in valorising mining waste through ecological methods. The evolution of this sector is closely linked to the demand for steel at European level and to Romania's capacity to reindustrialise its metallurgical bases.