[China Iron Ore Brief Review] In west Liaoning, local iron ore concentrates prices fell slightly by 5 yuan/mt, with the ex-factory prices of 66-grade iron ore concentrates, wet basis and excluding tax, at 735-740 yuan/mt; recently, production at some local mines and beneficiation plants was hindered by environmental protection inspections, leaving overall iron ore concentrates resources relatively tight. Demand side, steel mills were mainly purchasing as needed, and the whole

Iron ore futures showed a stronger trend in the morning session today but weakened in the afternoon. The main contract I2605 eventually closed at 805 yuan/ton, down 1.29% from the previous trading session.

[China Iron Ore Brief Review: Iron Ore Concentrates Prices in the Tangshan Region May Remain in the Doldrums. Iron ore prices in the Tangshan region fell slightly by 5-10 yuan, with the current ex-factory prices of 66-grade iron ore concentrates, dry basis and tax included, at 970-975 yuan/mt; there have been no significant changes on the ore side at present, and overall iron ore concentrates resources remain relatively tight. Demand side, steel mills are still largely maintaining normal production as planned, but their overall desire to bargain down prices remains relatively strong, and market sentiment is marked by pronounced game-playing]

Dalian iron ore futures held up well in morning trading today before pulling back in the afternoon. The most-traded contract, I2605, finally closed at 812 yuan/mt, up 0.12% from the previous trading session. Spot prices rose by about 2 yuan from the previous trading day. Traders were moderately active in offering quotes, while steel mills mainly purchased to restock for immediate needs, with inquiries remaining cautious; as of now, transactions in the spot market were relatively sluggish. As for this week’s fundamental data, according to SMM monitoring data on daily average hot metal production, the blast furnace operating rate recently rose 1.05% WoW to 89.71%; daily average hot metal production reached 2.436 million mt, an increase of 25,700 mt WoW. The continued stable resumption of blast furnace production over the past three weeks effectively boosted rigid demand for iron ore raw material, providing solid bottom support for ore prices. Overall, iron ore fundamentals showed a pattern of strong downside support and upside pressure from inventory. In the short term, ore prices were expected to move sideways in a narrow range, until new information or changes emerged in the market, which could trigger corresponding fluctuations.

Iron ore futures experienced volatile trading, opening higher but weakening throughout the day. The main contract I2605 eventually closed at 808 yuan/ton, down 0.80% from the previous trading session.

[China Iron Ore Brief Review: Iron Ore Concentrate Prices in the Tangshan Region May Hold Up Well] In Shandong, the pre-tax dry-basis price of 64-grade alkaline fines at mines and beneficiation plants fell by 5 yuan to 894 yuan, and steelmakers lowered prices in tandem. Most miners maintained normal production, with no significant inventory buildup and basically no inventory at most operations. Steelmakers continued to purchase under long-term contracts, mainly purchasing as needed while maintaining low inventory operations. On the news front, external market disruptions remained unabated, and imported ore prices stayed at a relatively high level, which may provide some support for domestic iron ore