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Iron ore nears seven-week low as weak fundamentals weigh

Iron ore futures extended falls on Tuesday to their lowest levels in nearly 7 weeks, as signs of weakening in both nearterm need and midtolong term uptake potential customers in leading customer China and lingering high portside stocks weighed.

The most-traded September iron ore contract on China's. Dalian Product Exchange (DCE) ended daytime trade. 2.11% lower at 834 yuan ($ 115.11) a metric lot, the most affordable because. April 17, following a fall of more than 2% on Monday.

The benchmark July iron ore on the Singapore. Exchange toppled 2.21% to the most affordable considering that April 17 to $108.2 a. lot, since 0730 GMT, completely shrugging off earlier gains thanks to. growing expectations of U.S. Federal Reserve cutting interest. rates after softer-than-expected economic information.

Some steelmakers downsized procurement of raw materials. consisting of iron ore after a steeper fall in hot metal output last. week and a pick-up in steel inventories due to softening. downstream need, said Zhuo Guiqiu, an analyst at Jinrui. Futures.

Iron ore transaction volumes at significant ports slid by 17%. from the previous session to 735,000 lots on Monday, data from. consultancy Mysteel showed.

Portside inventories hovered high. Likewise, the. expectation of an unrefined steel output control later on the year. exacerbated worry on falling ore intake, sending headwinds. to rates, Zhuo included.

Steel supply modifications have actually been under focus after Beijing. repeated last week its intent to manage unrefined steel output. even more this year and as demand declined amid greater temperature levels. and forecast of heavy rains in southern areas.

Costs of the crucial steelmaking feedstock have actually lost more than. 6% from recently, even as more local stimulus for the. residential or commercial property market was revealed to stimulate the having a hard time sector.

Other steelmaking active ingredients on the DCE receded, with. coking coal and coke down 0.57% and 0.9%,. respectively.

Steel criteria on the Shanghai Futures Exchange pulled back. even more. Rebar shed 0.9%, hot-rolled coil. lost 0.58%, wire rod dipped 0.77% and stainless-steel. fell 0.69%.

China's crude steel output in 2024 may fall to 1.015 billion. heaps, experts at Hongyuan Futures stated in a note, from around. 1.019 billion heaps in 2023.

(source: Reuters)