NBS: China’s Jan-July ROM iron ore output falls 9% YoY

• Domestic concentrates lose competitiveness against imported fines
• July output drops 20% YoY amid mining curbs and safety inspections

Mysteel Global: China’s run-of-mine (ROM) iron ore production totaled 536.1 million tonnes in the first seven months of this year, down by 8.7% from the same period in 2025, according to the latest statistics from the country’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The decline accelerated from the 7% on-year drop recorded in the January-June period, as July output posted a sharper contraction, Mysteel Global observed.

Last month, China’s ROM iron ore production tumbled 20% on year to 67.1 million tonnes, the lowest monthly level since October 2018, the official data show.

The steep fall in July output came amid persistent curbs on domestic mining operations, with environmental inspections intensifying in major producing regions and some smaller mines remaining shut due to safety rectifications, market watchers suggested.

Regional data underscores the impact of these regulatory measures. In Hebei province, China’s largest iron ore-producing region located in the north, ROM output in July plunged 23.7% on year to 28.2 million tonnes, and output in Northeast China’s Liaoning province also plummeted 28.3% on year to 10.8 million tonnes, the NBS data show.

Beyond regulatory pressures, imported fines also became more cost-competitive than domestic concentrates over the past month, prompting mills to favour seaborne cargoes in their procurement strategies – a trend that added downward pressure to domestic mine operations.

For example, on July 31 the offering price of 66% Fe grade iron ore concentrate in Tangshan city, Hebei province, was assessed by Mysteel at Yuan 963/dmt ($143.2/dmt) including the 13% VAT, down 1.3% on month.

By comparison, Mysteel PORTDEX 62% Australian Fines in Qingdao had fallen by a steeper 3.8% on month to Yuan 683/wmt FOT including the 13% VAT by the same day.

Altogether, reduced raw ore availability and subdued processing activity among mining companies last month resulted in lower production of domestic iron ore concentrates. Mysteel’s tracking of 322 domestic mining enterprises showed their combined concentrate production reached 20 million tonnes in July, down 8.5% on year and 1.6% on month.

Note: This article has been written in accordance with a content exchange agreement between Mysteel Global and BigMint.