Australia reduced exports of iron ore and pellets by 8.9% m/m in July

In July of this year, Australia reduced its exports of iron ore and pellets by 8.9% compared to June, down to 73.6 million t. BigMint reports this, citing vessel inventory data.

China remained the main importer of Australian iron ore; in July, supplies to this country amounted to 60.4 million t (-13% m/m). Japan and South Korea followed, each importing 4.6 million t.

In terms of companies, Rio Tinto exported 25.9 million t of iron ore in July 2025, which is 7.5% less compared to the previous month. During the same period, BHP shipped 24.4 million t for export (-12% m/m).

Recall that in July of this year, Brazil exported a record 41.1 million t of iron ore (+4.7% y/y), surpassing the previous record of 39.5 million t set in December 2015. At the same time, revenues from these exports fell by 8.8% year-on-year to $2.62 billion due to a roughly 13% decline in prices compared to July 2024.

As reported by GMK Center, Australia forecasts a decrease in iron ore export revenues from $116 billion in the 2024–2025 fiscal year to $97 billion in 2026–2027. This is according to the country’s June Resources and Energy Quarterly report. The main reasons cited are weak global steel demand, a reduction in production in China, and the gradual saturation of the market by Brazil and Africa. At the same time, the report notes that FOB iron ore prices (62% Fe) will fall on average from $93 per tonne in 2024 to $83 in 2025 and $74 in 2027.