Today， DCE iron ore futures generally strengthened today. The most-traded contract I2605 finally closed at 816.5 yuan/mt, up 1.81% from the previous trading session. Meanwhile, the spot price rose by about 5 yuan from the previous trading day. Traders were moderately willing to offer quotes, while steel mills made fewer inquiries. Overall spot market transactions were limited. The latest SMM survey showed that blast furnace maintenance affected hot metal production by 1.751 million mt, down 250,000 mt WoW. This impact is expected to decrease by a further 229,800 mt next week to 1.522 million mt. As blast furnace maintenance gradually eases, iron ore demand is expected to show signs of a rebound in the short term. Looking ahead, although current port iron ore inventory has reached 155 million mt, the overstocked materials are mainly concentrated in certain categories. Overall, market demand for some high-demand varieties has undergone a structural shift. In particular, varieties represented by IOCJ fines and PB lump continued to destock rapidly, while MAC fines and Indian fines saw an inventory buildup. The structural tightening on the supply side is expected to lend positive support to iron ore fundamentals in the short term. Therefore, iron ore prices are expected to fluctuate at highs or remain relatively strong this week.

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Source: Metals Market Index (MMI)