Crude iron production in China has decreased to 1.5267 million tons in the past week (September 19 to 25, 2026) due to maintenance and reduced inventory. This figure represents an increase of 56,000 tons compared to last week, and it is predicted that it will reach 1.5733 million tons next week (September 26 to October 2).
Reasons for Production Decrease
According to analysts, this production decrease is due to ongoing maintenance at iron production plants. Based on the latest reviews, the amount of hot iron lost due to blast furnace repairs has increased to 1.5267 million tons, which is 24,500 tons more than the weekly summary of September 21. Compared to the previous report on September 14, when crude iron production had decreased to 1.4157 million tons, the overall trend has completely reversed.
Impact on Prices and Inventory
Given the production decrease, analysts believe that pressure on iron ore prices is weakening. Recently, rumors about the supply of low-quality iron ore have emerged, which have hurt market sentiment and pushed prices down. If these rumors are confirmed, there will be a direct impact on the tradable supply at ports and will help increase inventories.
In the past week, inventories at ports have increased to 4.41 million tons, and this trend is expected to continue. While demand for iron ore has not yet been severely affected and pre-holiday stockpiling is still ongoing, analysts predict that the decrease in prices will be limited.
Future Outlook
Considering the maintenance data and increasing inventories, analysts believe that the production decrease may be limited in the short term. While demand for iron ore remains stable, the timing of the need for replenishment and its impact on port inventories will be decisive. It is expected that port inventories will be significantly affected in the coming weeks.
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