China Iron Ore Prices Fall Post-Holiday: Q4 Supply Rise to Weigh – News and Statistics

Oct 14, 2026

China’s iron ore market is showing moderate demand after the national holiday, with an increase in supply of the raw material forecast for the fourth quarter that is expected to weigh on prices, according to GMK Center.

Data cited from Kallanish put the price of ore with 62% iron content delivered to Qingdao at $91.31 per tonne CFR as of 12 October, 1.9% below the level at the start of the month on 2 October. On 13 October the price slipped to $90.6 per tonne CFR.

A survey by Mysteel Global indicated that prices for imported iron ore in China declined broadly in the period immediately after the holidays, between 8 and 10 October, as trading activity recovered only modestly. Steel plants relied mainly on their own ore inventories during the seven-day break, and post-holiday replenishment demand was subdued, with market sources noting that most mills bought only the volumes needed for immediate production.

Port trading volumes of imported ore over those three days averaged about 609,000 tonnes per day, 32.2% below the level seen in the same period a year earlier during the first week after the national holiday. Interest among steel plants in buying raw materials has weakened because of negative margins on steel product sales, while stable supply volumes from Brazil and Australia have left the market oversupplied.

At the start of this week, iron ore prices drew support from expectations that Chinese steelmakers would resume purchases. Low profit margins at steelworks and the anticipated rise in fourth-quarter supply, as major mining companies increase shipments to meet annual targets, are nevertheless capping the potential for gains.

Analysts at Yongan Futures Co., whose recent report was cited by Bloomberg, expect iron ore prices to move away from being driven by the combination of high steel output and support from freight rates, and to be determined instead by factors including rising supply, weakening demand and stockpiling. They expect prices to trend lower in the fourth quarter.

At the end of September, iron ore prices had fallen back below $100 per tonne. Market sentiment in the second half of last month was shaped by renewed calls for production cuts in the steel industry and weak fundamentals at steelworks, while buyers had largely finished pre-holiday restocking.

Interactive table based on the Store Companies dataset for this report.


# Company Headquarters Focus Scale Note
1 China Baowu Steel Group Shanghai Steel & iron ore mining World’s largest steelmaker Parent of Baowu Resources
2 Ansteel Group Anshan, Liaoning Steel & iron ore mining Major state-owned steel & ore producer Controls large domestic mines
3 HBIS Group Shijiazhuang, Hebei Steel & iron ore mining Large state-owned steel group Has significant mining assets
4 Shougang Group Beijing Steel & iron ore mining Major integrated steel producer Owns mines in China
5 Benxi Iron and Steel Group Benxi, Liaoning Steel & iron ore mining Large integrated steel producer Part of Ansteel group
6 Maanshan Iron and Steel Maanshan, Anhui Steel & iron ore mining Major steel producer Has captive iron ore resources
7 Jianlong Group Beijing Steel & iron ore mining Large private steel group Owns mining assets
8 Shandong Iron and Steel Group Jinan, Shandong Steel & iron ore mining Major state-owned steel group Seeks captive ore supply
9 Baotou Steel Union Baotou, Inner Mongolia Steel & iron ore mining Integrated steel producer Owns Bayan Obo mine complex
10 Zhongjin Lingnan Nonfemet Shenzhen, Guangdong Non-ferrous & iron ore Large mining company Has iron ore interests
11 China Minmetals Corporation Beijing Metals & mining State-owned metals conglomerate Involved in iron ore trade & assets
12 Aluminum Corporation of China (Chalco) Beijing Aluminum & diversified mining Large state-owned miner Has some iron ore assets
13 WISCO Resources Wuhan, Hubei Iron ore mining & investment Mining arm of former Wuhan Steel Now part of China Baowu
14 Sinosteel Corporation Beijing Metals & mining trade State-owned trading & mining firm Manages iron ore assets
15 MCC (Metallurgical Corp of China) Beijing Engineering & mining Large state-owned contractor Owns and operates mines
16 Zijin Mining Group Longyan, Fujian Gold & copper mining Large multinational miner Has iron ore projects
17 TISCO (Taiyuan Iron & Steel) Taiyuan, Shanxi Stainless steel & mining World’s largest stainless producer Seeks iron ore resources
18 Rizhao Steel Rizhao, Shandong Steel production Large private steelmaker Invests in iron ore assets
19 Delong Holdings Xingtai, Hebei Steel production Major private steel producer Has mining investments
20 Fujian Sansteel (Sangang) Sanming, Fujian Steel production Major regional steel producer Part of Baowu, has mines
21 Xinyu Iron and Steel Group Xinyu, Jiangxi Steel production State-owned steel producer Owns mining resources
22 Liuzhou Iron and Steel Liuzhou, Guangxi Steel production Regional steel producer Part of HBIS, has mines
23 Jiuquan Iron and Steel Group Jiayuguan, Gansu Steel production Major western steel producer Seeks captive iron ore
24 Kunming Iron and Steel Holding Kunming, Yunnan Steel production Regional steel producer Part of Baowu, has mines
25 Shanxi Taigang Stainless Steel Taiyuan, Shanxi Stainless steel Major stainless producer Parent TISCO has mining interests
26 Valin Group Loudi, Hunan Steel production Regional steel producer Has mining investments
27 CITIC Pacific Mining Hong Kong Iron ore mining (Sino Iron) Operates large magnetite project Subsidiary of CITIC Group (Beijing)
28 China Hanking Holdings Shenyang, Liaoning Mining Mid-tier private mining group Iron ore is a key business
29 Zhongwu Group Wuxi, Jiangsu Steel trading & logistics Large private metals firm Invests in iron ore assets
30 Yunnan Copper Kunming, Yunnan Copper mining Major copper producer Parent (Chinalco) has iron ore interests

  1. 1. INTRODUCTION

    Report Scope and Analytical Framing

    1. Report Description
    2. Research Methodology and the Analytical Framework
    3. Data-Driven Decisions for Your Business
    4. Glossary and Product-Specific Terms

  2. 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    Concise View of Market Direction

    1. Key Findings
    2. Market Trends
    3. Strategic Implications
    4. Key Risks and Watchpoints

  3. 3. DOMESTIC MARKET SIZE AND DEVELOPMENT PATH

    Market Size, Growth and Scenario Framing

    1. Market Size: Historical Data (2012-2025) and Forecast (2026-2035)
    2. Growth Outlook and Market Development Path to 2035
    3. Growth Driver Decomposition
    4. Scenario Framework and Sensitivities

  4. 4. CATEGORY SCOPE, DEFINITIONS AND BOUNDARIES

    Commercial and Technical Scope

    1. What Is Included and How the Market Is Defined
    2. Market Inclusion Criteria
    3. Product / Category Definition
    4. Exclusions and Boundaries
    5. Distinction From Adjacent Products and Substitute Categories

  5. 5. CATEGORY STRUCTURE, SEGMENTATION AND PRODUCT MATRIX

    How the Market Splits Into Decision-Relevant Buckets

    1. By Product Type / Configuration
    2. By Application / End Use
    3. By Customer / Buyer Type
    4. By Channel / Business Model / Technology Platform
    5. Segment Attractiveness Matrix
    6. Product Matrix and Segment Growth Logic

  6. 6. DOMESTIC DEMAND, CUSTOMER AND BUYER ARCHITECTURE

    Where Demand Comes From and How It Behaves

    1. Consumption / Demand: Historical Data (2012-2025) and Forecast (2026-2035)
    2. Demand by End-Use and Buyer Group
    3. Demand by Customer / Consumer Segment
    4. Purchase Criteria, Switching Logic and Adoption Barriers
    5. Replacement, Replenishment and Installed-Base Dynamics
    6. Future Demand Outlook

  7. 7. DOMESTIC PRODUCTION, SUPPLY AND VALUE CHAIN

    Supply Footprint and Value Capture

    1. Production in the Country
    2. Domestic Manufacturing Footprint
    3. Capacity, Bottlenecks and Supply Risks
    4. Value Chain Logic and Margin Pools
    5. Distribution and Route-to-Market Structure

  8. 8. IMPORTS, EXPORTS AND SOURCING STRUCTURE

    Trade Flows and External Dependence

    1. Exports
    2. Imports
    3. Trade Balance
    4. Import Dependence
    5. Sourcing Risks and Resilience

  9. 9. PRICING, PROMOTION AND COMMERCIAL MODEL

    Price Formation and Revenue Logic

    1. Domestic Price Levels and Corridors
    2. Pricing by Segment / Specification / Channel
    3. Cost Drivers and Margin Logic
    4. Promotion, Discounting and Procurement Patterns
    5. Revenue Quality and Commercial Levers

  10. 10. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE AND PORTFOLIO POWER

    Who Wins and Why

    1. Market Structure and Concentration
    2. Competitive Archetypes
    3. Segment-by-Segment Competitive Intensity
    4. Portfolio Breadth and Product Positioning
    5. Capability Matrix
    6. Strategic Moves, Partnerships and Expansion Signals

  11. 11. DOMESTIC MARKET STRUCTURE AND CHANNEL LOGIC

    How the Domestic Market Works

    1. Core Demand Centers
    2. Local Production and Distribution Roles
    3. Channel Structure
    4. Buyer and Procurement Architecture
    5. Regional Imbalances Within the Country

  12. 12. GROWTH PLAYBOOK AND MARKET ENTRY

    Commercial Entry and Scaling Priorities

    1. Where to Play
    2. How to Win
    3. Distributor / Partner / Direct Entry Options
    4. Capability Thresholds
    5. Entry Risks and Mitigation

  13. 13. WHERE TO PLAY NEXT: MOST ATTRACTIVE GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES

    Where the Best Expansion Logic Sits

    1. Most Attractive Product Niches
    2. Most Attractive Customer Segments
    3. White Spaces and Unsaturated Opportunities
    4. High-Margin and Underpenetrated Pockets
    5. Most Promising Product Adjacencies

  14. 14. PROFILES OF MAJOR COMPANIES

    Leading Players and Strategic Archetypes

    1. Leading Manufacturers and Suppliers
    2. Production Footprint and Capacities
    3. Product Portfolio and Segment Focus
    4. Pricing Positioning and Indicative Price Logic
    5. Channel / Distribution Strength
    6. Strategic Archetypes

  15. 15. METHODOLOGY, SOURCES AND DISCLAIMER

    How the Report Was Built

    1. Modeling Logic
    2. Source Register
    3. Publications, Regulatory and Industry References
    4. Analytical Notes
    5. Disclaimer

China Baowu Steel Group

Parent of Baowu Resources

Ansteel Group

Controls large domestic mines

HBIS Group

Has significant mining assets

Shougang Group

Owns mines in China

Benxi Iron and Steel Group

Part of Ansteel group

Maanshan Iron and Steel

Has captive iron ore resources

Jianlong Group

Owns mining assets

Shandong Iron and Steel Group

Seeks captive ore supply

Baotou Steel Union

Owns Bayan Obo mine complex

Zhongjin Lingnan Nonfemet

Has iron ore interests

China Minmetals Corporation

Involved in iron ore trade & assets

Aluminum Corporation of China (Chalco)

Has some iron ore assets

WISCO Resources

Now part of China Baowu

Sinosteel Corporation

Manages iron ore assets

MCC (Metallurgical Corp of China)

Owns and operates mines

Zijin Mining Group

Has iron ore projects

TISCO (Taiyuan Iron & Steel)

Seeks iron ore resources

Rizhao Steel

Invests in iron ore assets

Delong Holdings

Has mining investments

Fujian Sansteel (Sangang)

Part of Baowu, has mines

Xinyu Iron and Steel Group

Owns mining resources

Liuzhou Iron and Steel

Part of HBIS, has mines

Jiuquan Iron and Steel Group

Seeks captive iron ore

Kunming Iron and Steel Holding

Part of Baowu, has mines

Shanxi Taigang Stainless Steel

Parent TISCO has mining interests

Valin Group

Has mining investments

CITIC Pacific Mining

Subsidiary of CITIC Group (Beijing)

China Hanking Holdings

Iron ore is a key business

Zhongwu Group

Invests in iron ore assets

Yunnan Copper

Parent (Chinalco) has iron ore interests

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