[SMM Survey] Regional Production of Iron Ore Concentrates Diverges, While Total Production Remains Basically Flat

Published: Apr 28, 2025 14:00

Save

According to the latest data from SMM, the capacity utilisation rate of domestic mines fell to 58.4% last week, a slight decrease of 0.2 percentage points from the previous week. The production of iron ore concentrates reached 789,000 mt, down 3,000 mt WoW. Sales amounted to 789,000 mt, up 7,000 mt WoW. Meanwhile, the inventory of mine concentrates decreased by 10,000 mt, with the current total inventory standing at 265,000 mt.

According to the latest data from SMM, the capacity utilisation rate of domestic mines fell to 58.4% last week, a slight drop of 0.2 percentage points from the previous week. The production of iron ore concentrates reached 789,000 mt, down 3,000 mt WoW. Sales amounted to 789,000 mt, up 7,000 mt WoW. Meanwhile, the inventory of mine concentrates decreased by 10,000 mt, with the current total inventory standing at 265,000 mt.
The total domestic production of iron ore concentrates remains relatively stable, yet there is a notable divergence across regions. In the Linyi area of Shandong province, a large mine has resumed production, bringing new incremental resources to the local market. In contrast, the production of iron ore concentrates at beneficiation plants in large open-pit mines in Chengde, Hebei province, continues to decline due to insufficient resource reserves and delays in the approval of boundary expansion projects. In the western part of Liaoning province, some mines are in a state of shutdown for rectification due to safety inspection campaigns, affecting local production. Despite these regional variations, the overall domestic production of iron ore concentrates remains stable.
Looking ahead to this week, affected by the Labour Day holiday, some mine and beneficiation plants plan to carry out short-term equipment maintenance, and it is expected that the total domestic production of iron ore concentrates will experience a slight decline.

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM‘s internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or to learn more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn

For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn

Related News

6 hours ago

[SMM Steel] Hyundai-POSCO Louisiana Steel selects Danieli for low-carbon US steel project

[SMM Steel] Hyundai-POSCO Louisiana Steel LLC appointed Danieli to supply equipment for a new integrated steel plant in the US focused on low-carbon automotive steel production. The project includes a 2.5 million tpy ENERGIRON® DRI plant designed for hydrogen use and carbon capture, along with two electric arc furnaces capable of producing 2.88 million tpy. Danieli will also provide slab casters, secondary metallurgy systems, and reheating furnaces compatible with natural gas and hydrogen blends to support future decarbonization targets.

6 hours ago

Capital-Driven Silicon Metal Prices Trended Stronger After the Holiday with Spot Price Center Shifting Upward [SMM Silicon Industry Weekly Review]

[Capital-Driven Silicon Metal Prices Trend Stronger After Holiday, Spot Price Center Shifts Upward]: The silicon metal market trended stronger after the Labour Day holiday, with the most-traded futures contract breaking through resistance levels to rise above 9,000 yuan/mt. As of the morning of May 7, SMM east China oxygen-blown #553 silicon was at 9,200-9,300 yuan/mt, up 150 yuan/mt WoW. Futures prices continued to trend stronger after the holiday, and silicon suppliers raised spot offer prices multiple times in small incremental probes, with east China #553 silicon offers rising above 9,300 yuan/mt. In the futures market, the SI2609 contract closed at 9,080 yuan/mt on Thursday, up 285 yuan/mt WoW, with an intraday high touching 9,180 yuan/mt. Low-priced sources in the silicon metal market decreased or disappeared, and the transaction center shifted notably higher compared to pre-holiday levels as just-in-time procurement provided support. This round of strengthening was mainly driven by macro and capital momentum, with no substantive bullish support from the industry fundamentals for the time being. From late April to early May, silicon enterprises increasingly hedged in batches on price rallies and sold against the basis, with cargo ownership gradually shifting to futures-spot traders. After futures were pushed higher, spot liquidity issues tended to emerge easily. While futures remained elevated and fundamentals were weak, rigid demand provided support, and spot prices passively followed the upward trend.

6 hours ago

7 hours ago

[SMM HRC Daily Trading] Spot Cargo Trading Pulled Back

[SMM HRC Daily Trading] On May 7, the combined daily trading volume of HRC from SMM's sample enterprises across four cities (Shanghai, Lecong, Tianjin, Ningbo) totaled 16,260 mt, down 1,000 mt DoD (-5.8%), up 65.75% YoY (solar calendar), and up 46.09% YoY (lunar calendar).

7 hours ago