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U.S. mine shipments of beryllium ore in 2006 increased from those of the previous year; ore consumption for the production of beryllium hydroxide also increased (table 1). The Defense National Stockpile Center (DNSC) of the U.S. Department of Defense offered and sold selected beryllium materials from the National Defense Stockpile (NDS). On the basis of estimated contained beryllium and excluding beryllium-copper alloy products, total U.S. imports and total U.S. exports of beryllium materials in 2006 were lower than those of the previous year. Beryllium is gray in color and one of the lightest metals. Its other physical and mechanical properties outstanding stiffness-to-weight and strength-to-weight ratios, one of the highest melting points of all light metals, high specific heat, excellent thermal conductivity, outstanding dimensional stability over a wide range of temperatures, reflectivity, the lowest neutron absorption cross section of any metal and a high neutron-scattering cross section, and transparency to x rays make it useful for many applications. Beryllium is used primarily as beryllium-copper alloys, beryllium oxide ceramics, and beryllium metal in a wide variety of products in aerospace, automotive, computer, defense, electronics, heavy machinery, home appliance, industrial component, instrumentation and control system, medical, nuclear, oil and gas drilling, plastic molding, telecommunications, undersea and marine, and other applications.