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Iron ore falls to multi-month lows amid China demand concerns

Iron ore prices dropped for the second consecutive session on Monday, hitting their lowest level in several months. This was due to lingering fears about demand in China, which is a major consumer of iron ore. Also, portside ore stocks were rising.

By 0215 GMT, the most traded January iron ore contract at China's Dalian Commodity Exchange fell by 1.18% to 756.5 Yuan ($106.21), its lowest level since 10 July.

As of 0205 GMT the benchmark December iron ore traded on the Singapore Exchange had fallen 0.12% to $101.15 per ton. This was its lowest price since September 1.

First Futures analysts said that several steelmakers in China have implemented equipment maintenance due to losses.

Analysts at the consultancy Mysteel reported that a couple of cities, including Tangshan - a key hub for steel production - removed emergency response based on pollution Sunday. Steel mills must typically control production when responding to such emergencies.

Analysts said that mills were not keen to restart full-scale operations due to the losses they suffered as a result of low raw material prices, and a softening demand downstream.

Iron ore stocks at major Chinese ports also increased as prices rose, resulting in a pressure on prices. SteelHome reported that the number of tons produced in the United States increased by 2.1% compared to the previous week, reaching 138.44 millions as of November 7. This is the highest level since March 21.

Coke and other steelmaking materials, such as coking coal, fell by 2.11% and 1.67 percent, respectively.

The Shanghai Futures Exchange has seen a decline in most steel benchmarks. Rebar fell 0.3%, hot-rolled coil dropped 0.4%, and stainless steel remained unchanged.

The iron market has been weakened despite positive factory data.

In October, China's producer prices deflation eased and consumer prices returned into positive territory as the government increased efforts to curb excessive capacity and fierce competition between firms. $1 = 7.1230 Chinese Yuan (Reporting and editing by Amy Lv, Lewis Jackson)

(source: Reuters)