According to statistics, India’s seaborne iron ore exports dropped by 25% year on year in 2025, falling to 28.7 million tons. Despite this annual decline, shipments in December alone surged by more than 50% compared to the previous year, reaching 3.6 million tons. China drove this year-end activity, purchasing 3.3 million tons, accounting for 92% of the month’s total volume.
For the full year, China maintained its status as the top destination, receiving nearly 92% of India’s total exports. Malaysia and Indonesia followed as the second and third largest buyers, respectively.
The market now faces a slow start in 2026, as January loading volumes fell to roughly 0.9 million tons, down from 2.1 million tons during the same month last year.