Western Australia’s iron ore exports rise in March

Iron ore producers shipped 64.3mn t of ore out of Australia's Port Hedland and Dampier Port, up by 0.8pc on the year, after months of weather challenges.

• Exports from Dampier fell by 0.7pc on the year, but this was offset by a 1.2pc increase in shipments from the larger Port Hedland (see table).
• Shipments from Port Hedland to Vietnam rose by more than seven-fold on the year to 2.6mn t from 343,059t, offsetting declines in exports to China and Japan. The increase comes after Vietnamese buyers reduced purchases of Port Hedland iron ore by 73pc on the year in February.
• Iron ore producers shipped 41.2mn t of ore from Port Hedland to China in March, down by 4pc on the year. Chinese steelmakers cut production in March because of weak demand and maintenance work. Chinese steel mills may continue to cut production in April.
• Indian firms imported 381,000t of Port Hedland iron ore in March, up by 98pc on the year. JWS Steel and Tata Steel, the country's two largest steelmakers, increased their crude steel output by 6pc on the year over the April 2024-March 2025 fiscal year.
• Port Hedland and Dampier closed multiple times in late-January and February as cyclones plagued the region. One of Rio Tinto's railcar dumpers at Dampier was restarted in early March after it sustained flood damage during Cyclone Sean in January.
• Argus' iron ore fines 62pc (ICX) cfr Qingdao price fell from $107/t on 28 February to $101/t on 3 March. The price partially recovered over the month, reaching $104/t on 2 April, before falling to just $100/t on 14 April.

By Avinash Govind