Iron ore output at 4-month high

SHANGHAI, Oct 23 (SMM) – Run-of-mine (ROM) iron ore output in China reached a four-month high in September, up 3.5% from August to stand at 66.927 million mt, according to data by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Output in September stood 43.8% lower than September 2017, and grew the overall output in January-September 2018 to 579,929 million mt.

In September, prices of steel products stayed at high levels across Chinese markets. This boosted demand for ore and grew iron ore output from August.

Compared to previous years, iron ore output in China this year stand lower due to the crackdown on open-pit mining and as authorities intensified their efforts in environmental protection. Output each month this year has not exceeded 70 million mt, NBS data showed.