- Strict inspections, weather disruptions weigh on output
- Alongside ROM, domestic concentrate output shrinks
MySteel Global: China produced 79.3 million tonnes (mnt) of run-of-mine (ROM) iron ore last December, lower by 4.4% y-o-y and m-o-m, according to the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). This brought the country’s full-year ROM iron ore output in 2025 to 983.7 mnt, 2.8% below the total for 2024, the official data show.
In detail, total ROM iron ore output in North China’s Hebei province, China’s top iron ore producing hub, declined by a marked 10.8% y-o-y to 441.8 mnt in 2025.
This drop was partly attributed to intensified environmental inspections launched by provincial authorities during the first half of the year, which resulted in about one-third of the medium- and small-sized mines being temporarily closed for rectifications, Mysteel Global learned. Additionally, some older mines in the region suspended operations due to resource depletion.
In Northeast China’s Liaoning province, meanwhile, ROM iron ore production last year slipped by 3.7% on year to 175.5 million tonnes, the official data indicate. This drop is related to mine safety inspections during the second half of the year that resulted in the suspension of some small mines for about 3-4 months. The disruption from extreme cold weather towards the year-end also hindered local mining activities.
Total ROM ore output in Southwest China’s Sichuan province experienced a notable decrease of 11.1% on year last year, reaching 85.1 million tonnes, the NBS data show. Frequent rains in the region, together with falling ore grades and rising transportation costs, forced some medium- and small-sized mines to reduce their operating rates, Mysteel Global learned.
In tandem with the lower output of ROM ore, China’s domestic production of iron ore concentrates also declined last year. Mysteel’s tracking of 433 Chinese mining companies nationwide showed that their total concs output in 2025 shrank 3% from the previous year to 274.8 million tonnes.
Despite the tighter supply, iron ore concentrate prices in China trended lower last year, following the decline in imported iron ore prices amid a global supply surplus. For example, Mysteel assessed the average price of 66% Fe grade iron ore concentrate in Tangshan in Hebei throughout 2025 at RMB 960/dmt ($138/dmt) EXW and including the 13% VAT, RMB 74/dmt lower than the 2024 average.
Looking ahead, China’s ROM iron ore production is expected to recover in 2026, driven mainly by the resumption of mine operations in Hebei province and new capacity coming online in the broader North China area. Mysteel’s latest survey suggests that domestic concs output will increase by 4 mnt this year.
Note: This article has been written in accordance with a content exchange agreement between Mysteel Global and BigMint.
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