Itochu and BHP Greenlight Ministers North Iron Ore Mine

Thyssenkrupp Steel announced that it has slightly reduced blast furnace production at its Duisburg steelworks due to critically low water levels on the Rhine River. The severe weather conditions have constrained the inflow of raw materials, forcing the steelmaker to suspend its own barge operations and charter alternative vessels with a shallower draught. The Rhine logistics disruption has led to increased freight costs across the German industrial sector, although Thyssenkrupp noted that customer deliveries are not currently at risk.

Workers at BHP's Port Hedland iron ore facility in Western Australia launched an eight-hour strike in mid-July, marking the first industrial action in the Pilbara region in over 25 years. The strike, driven by demands for pay parity and improved working conditions, involved up to 200 workers, with market participants estimating it could potentially impact iron ore shipments by 2 million tonnes. By July 21, 2026, BHP and the union representing the workers reported they were close to reaching a formal agreement to resolve the dispute.

Jindal Steel Oman reported that its Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) plant at Sohar successfully operated for 188 consecutive days without a shutdown, concluding on July 11. According to Midrex technology standards, this sets a global benchmark for 6.5-metre shaft furnaces, with the facility delivering output 33% higher than its original design capacity of 1.5 million tons over 8,000 operating hours. The plant also achieved a new daily production record of 6,113 tons running at 254.7 tonnes per hour