Transportation, production curbs deter iron ore deliveries from Chinese ports

Published: Sep 27, 2019 11:28

Save

Daily iron ore deliveries from Chinese ports dropped 375,000 mt from the prior week

SHANGHAI, Sep 27 (SMM) – Chinese ports saw the amount of iron ore delivered this week sharply decline from the previous week, as authorities imposed restrictions on road transportation and steel production to combat heavy air pollution.

SMM data showed that daily iron ore deliveries from 35 Chinese ports averaged 2.46 million mt in the week ending September 27, down 375,000 mt from the prior week and 206,500 mt from the same period last year.

Environmental restrictions slowed steelmakers’ raw material restocking ahead of the Golden Week holiday, and suspended commodity transportation into and out of ports in the top steelmaking hub of Tangshan from September 22.

One-day iron ore deliveries leaving Jingtang port dropped to only 38,000 mt on September 23, compared with the daily average of above 350,000 mt in the week ending September 20.

The drop in deliveries, however, failed to grow iron ore stocks across those ports, which came in at 110.7 million mt as of September 27, down 1.23 million mt from a week ago and 22.82 million mt from a year ago, showed SMM data.

SMM estimates that 11.26 million mt of seaborne iron ore arrived at major Chinese ports last week, down 2.67 million mt from the week ending September 14.

Iron ore deliveries from Chinese ports are likely to recover after the break, in anticipation of greater arrivals and the removal of environmental limitations at the start of October.

Inventory data Iron ore

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

Mar 13, 2026 18:30

Strong Cost Support Remained; Ferrous Metals May Hold Up Well in the Short Term [SMM Steel Industry Chain Weekly Report]

This week, ferrous metals rebounded from the bottom. At the start of the week, coking coal and coke led the futures higher, mainly driven by rising crude oil prices in the overseas market, which pushed the energy and chemicals sector stronger accordingly; mid-week, both the U.S. and Iran signaled a more relaxed stance toward war, easing geopolitical tensions, while coal prices fell in tandem, weakening the cost-side logic, and ferrous metals fluctuated at highs; in the latter half of the week, worsening short-term liquidity issues in BHP's iron ore port inventory triggered stronger iron ore prices in the overseas market, while the Middle East situation remained volatile, reinforcing cost support and pushing ferrous metals higher again. In the spot market, supported by futures, end-user and arbitrage purchase sentiment both improved WoW this week......

Mar 13, 2026 18:30

Mar 13, 2026 17:28

Japanese Researchers Set World Record with 12.28% Efficient Indium-Free Solar Cell

The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan recently announced the successful development of a copper gallium selenide (CuGaSe₂) solar cell with a conversion efficiency of 12.28%, setting a world record for indium-free wide-bandgap chalcogenide solar cells in the same frequency band. The research team enhanced the open-circuit voltage and cell performance by incorporating aluminum to form a back-surface field and optimizing the buffer layer. This achievement provides a new approach for the development of high-efficiency tandem solar cells.

Mar 13, 2026 17:28

Mar 13, 2026 17:27

Secondary Aluminum Alloy Market Sees Stable Quotes, Some Producers Lower Prices Amid Futures Fluctuations

[SMM Aluminum Alloy Flash] Quotations in the secondary aluminum alloy market were mainly stable today. Before noon, fluctuations in futures narrowed, and enterprises’ willingness to adjust prices weakened significantly, with most producers choosing to hold prices steady and wait on the sidelines. In the afternoon, as futures fluctuated downward, some producers began to lower quotations by 100 yuan/mt. Demand side, downstream buyers still mainly made just-in-time procurement, but against the backdrop of a pullback in aluminum prices and the approaching weekend, some enterprises showed slightly stronger procurement willingness, and market transactions improved somewhat from the previous day.

Mar 13, 2026 17:27