Today, the DCE Iron ore futures strengthened today, with the most-traded contract I2609 closing at 796 yuan/mt, up 1.60% from the previous trading session. Spot prices rose 2-5 from the previous day. Traders showed moderate enthusiasm in quoting, while steel mills restocked on an as-needed basis with limited inquiries; overall spot transactions were tepid. According to the latest SMM data, total iron ore inventory at 35 main ports nationwide stood at 150.08 million mt, down 1.09 million mt MoM, indicating slight destocking. Meanwhile, daily average port pick-up volume rebounded to 3.305 million mt, up 118,000 mt WoW. Although hot metal production pulled back slightly WoW, the overall destocking trend suggested that iron ore demand remained relatively strong. Currently, restocking demand ahead of the Labour Day holiday had largely concluded, and upward momentum driven by fundamentals was expected to weaken in the near term. On the other hand, affected by related policy adjustments, panic sentiment emerged in the market regarding iron ore and downstream trade liquidity. The sentiment continued to ferment, driving spot iron ore prices to rise sharply. In the short term, iron ore prices may continue to hold up well, but close attention should be paid to potential impacts from shifts in market sentiment.

Download PDF

Source: Metals Market Index (MMI)