China: iron ore mining by month 2024

In December 2024, approximately 84.86 million metric tons of crude iron ore was extracted in China.

Iron ore mining in China

As the world's largest iron ore importing country since 2014, China's iron ore imports amount to over one billion metric tons every year to meet its demand. Cutbacks in 2014 were likely the result of decreasing iron ore prices around the world, which fell from a high of 168 U.S. dollars per dry metric ton in 2011 to a low of an estimated 55 U.S. dollars in 2015. Iron ore prices have gradually recovered to the levels of 2014, standing at 120.6 U.S. dollars per dry metric ton as of 2023.

China's steel industry

Despite iron ore mining cutbacks in China and fluctuating prices, the price of steel, which is made from iron ore, has remained stable. China has remained the world’s largest crude steel producer. Among the twenty leading steelmakers worldwide, eleven are from China. As the largest crude steel producer in the world, Baowu Steel Group is state-owned and is the largest steel company in China. In 2022, Baowu Steel Group generated a revenue of over 1.09 trillion yuan.

Monthly iron ore mining in China from December 2021 to December 2024 (in million metric tons)

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Release date

January 2025

More information

Region

China

Survey time period

December 2021 to December 2024

Supplementary notes

* According to the source, the values for January and February were rounded together to reduce the influence of Chinese New Year on the data. This festival falls each year between January 21 and February 21.

Values have been rounded.
The source does not provide a release date. The date given is the date of data access.

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