China imported around 628.9 million tons of iron ore during the first six months of 2026, representing an increase of 6.3% compared with the same period last year.
June imports alone reached 112.7 million tons, rising by 15.3% from May and 6.4% year on year. Steelmakers increased inventories ahead of expected summer demand.
Average daily crude steel output among large and medium-sized Chinese steelmakers reached 2.1 million tons in early June, up 3.8% from late May. Output then increased slightly to 2.1 million tons in mid-June before falling by 3.6% to 2.02 million tons in the final part of the month.