China: ROM iron ore output slumps 10% y-o-y in Jan-Sep’26

• China’s ROM output falls 24% y-o-y in Sep’26 to lowest monthly level since Feb’10
• Smaller mines curb output amid squeezed margins, strict mine safety inspections continue

China’s run-of-mine (ROM) iron ore output remained subdued during the first nine months to total 665.5 million tonnes, falling by 10.3% from the same period in 2025, according to the latest data from China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The decline accelerated from the 8.8% on-year drop recorded in the January-August period, as September saw a sharper contraction in output, Mysteel Global observed.

Last month alone, China’s ROM iron ore production plunged 23.9% on year and by 5.7% from August to 63.1 million tonnes — the lowest monthly level since February 2010, the official data show.

By region, ROM ore output in North China’s Hebei province the country’s largest iron ore-producing hub plunged 41.6% on year to 21.8 million tonnes during the month, according to NBS data.

Meanwhile, output in neighbouring Shanxi province also contracted sharply, falling 12.5% from a year earlier to 3.07 million tonnes.

Elsewhere, production in Northeast China’s Liaoning province likewise slumped 11.6% on year to 12.8 million tonnes in September, the NBS numbers show.

Some industry sources attributed the sharp decline to lower production among small- and medium-sized mines, many of which were operating close to break-even last month. Meanwhile, ongoing stringent mine-safety and environmental inspections further constrained production, Mysteel Global notes.

The weakness in ROM output also fed through to iron ore concentrate production. Mysteel’s tracking of 332 domestic mining enterprises put their combined iron ore concs output at 19.6 million tonnes in September, down 8.8% on year and 1.6% on month.

However, tighter concentrate supply failed to translate into price support last month. With steelmakers grappling with shrinking margins on finished steel sales, cautious procurement and limited demand for domestic concentrates kept a lid on prices. Mysteel data shows these continued to soften last month, despite the supply contraction.

For example, the average offering price of 66% Fe iron ore concentrates in Tangshan city, Hebei province, was assessed by Mysteel at RMB 933/dmt ($140/dmt) including 13% VAT, in September, down RMB 17/dmt from the August average.

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