U.S. Silver Output Plunges 14% Between January and May – U.S.G.S.

US Silver mine output plunged 14% over the first 5 months of the year according to the USGS.
Perhaps that is why we are now experiencing such extreme physical supply tightness in the silver market.  The cartels can only push the paper price down so far before real world supply and demand fundamentals snap.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported Tuesday that U.S. silver production dropped 14% in May.
U.S. mines produced 84,900 kilograms of silver (2,729,600 troy ounces) in May 2012, a 14% drop from the 99,300 kg (3,192,570 ounces) of silver output reported during May 2011. The average daily production rate in May of this year was 2,740 kg (88,903 oz.)…
Domestic silver production for the period from January to May of this year totaled 411,000 kg (13,214,000 oz.).
U.S. Geological Survey figures show the United States imported 2.4 million kg (77,161,800 oz.) of silver with a value of $2.58 billion from January to May of this year. The U.S. imported silver bullion, silver dore, silver ores and concentrates, and silver ash and residues from Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Columbia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Panama and Peru.