[SMM Iron & Steel] Turkey’s Q1 2026 Iron Ore Imports Explode 33.9% as Norway and Russia Aggressively Gain Ground

On the DCE, iron ore futures trended weaker today, with the most-traded contract I2609 closing at 764 yuan/mt, down 0.46% from the previous trading day. Port spot prices fell 3–5 yuan from the previous day.

[SMM Hot Rolled Coil Daily Transactions] On June 11, the total daily trading volume of hot-rolled coils among sample enterprises in SMM's four cities (Shanghai, Lecong, Tianjin, Ningbo) totaled 13,220 mt, down 1,030 mt day-on-day, or -7.9%, Gregorian YoY +0.92%, and lunar YoY -6.31%.

The most-traded HRC contract fluctuated downward today, closing at 3,358, down 0.33% MoM. Spot sheets & plates fell 10-20 yuan/mt MoM, while some markets held steady. Supply side, hot rolling maintenance impact eased this week, weekly production rose 10,500 mt MoM, and supply pressure remains on a short-term uptrend. Demand side, the late-session decline weighed on market sentiment, with end-users buying at low prices and speculative demand weakening. Cost side, the spot market for coking coal and coke remained in a tight supply-demand balance. The sixth round of coke price increases was implemented, and futures prices are currently in the process of repairing losses. There are market talks of a seventh round of increases on the 12th, and cost support remains in place. In summary, based on HRC social inventory data, east China and south China markets saw MoM inventory buildup, while northeast, north China, and central China markets saw MoM destocking. No obvious supply-demand imbalance has emerged yet. However, as the off-season deepens, imbalances will continue to build. The market is expected to remain rangebound in the short term. Keep monitoring disturbances from the raw material side.