China iron ore imports stay strong as steel output weakens
China's April steel production fell, while first-four-month iron ore imports rose, pointing to a more complex raw-material balance.
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Mining Weekly, in a Reuters-edited market analysis, reported that China's April steel output fell to 86.63 million tonnes, the weakest April figure since 2018.
Over the first four months of 2026, Chinese iron ore imports rose 8 percent to 418.6 million tonnes, even as steel output declined and port inventories remained near record levels.
The split matters for mineral and metal trading because demand signals are no longer explained by steel output alone. Inventory building, lower domestic ore grades, and route-risk concerns are all shaping seaborne buying.
Source: Mining Weekly / Reuters