铁矿石月报：供需边际减弱，铁矿承压运行-20251105

1. Report Industry Investment Rating - No specific information about the industry investment rating is provided in the report. 2. Core Viewpoints - In the past month, the demand for iron ore fluctuated at a high level but gradually weakened. At the end of the month, environmental protection restrictions in Hebei were tightened, leading to a decline in molten iron production. Steel mills became more cautious in raw material procurement, actively reducing their imported ore inventories with weak restocking intentions. As the supply - demand situation eased, the demand side's driving force for ore prices significantly weakened [3][10][34]. - The first shipment of iron ore from Simandou is planned for November this year. Its production is expected to increase significantly in 2026 and enter a rapid growth phase from 2027 - 2028, which requires close attention. In October, the global iron ore shipment volume increased slightly month - on - month and remained at a high level. The arrival volume in China increased significantly. Considering the year - end rush expectation, the shipping rhythm of major mines is likely to remain active, and the arrival volume may continue to stay high [3][14][35]. - In the next month, the market focus will shift to the fundamentals. On the macro side, recent policy benefits have been intensively introduced, releasing positive sentiment. Fundamentally, iron ore demand is declining marginally, and the expectation of steel mill production cuts is strengthening, so molten iron production will continue to fall. On the supply side, overseas shipments and arrivals are expected to be stable, and port inventories may continue to accumulate. With weakening supply - demand, the iron ore price is expected to show a volatile and pressured trend, with a focus range of 700 - 810 yuan/ton [3][35]. 3. Summary According to the Table of Contents 3.1 Market Review - In October, iron ore futures fluctuated widely at a high level, first falling and then rising, and the price weakened at a high level in November. At the beginning of last month, due to the National Day holiday, concerns about weak terminal demand increased, and the ore price declined under pressure. The main contract dropped to around 760 yuan/ton. In the middle of the month, driven by macro - level benefits, the market sentiment gradually recovered. The iron ore price rebounded after reaching the bottom. The global shipment volume remained high last month, port inventories continued to accumulate, and the demand side weakened marginally. The daily average molten iron production decreased slightly month - on - month, and the supply - demand pattern shifted from tight balance to loose [8]. - The spot price adjusted oscillatingly. As of early November, the 62% Platts Index decreased by 1.2% month - on - month to $104.6/ton, and the PB powder spot price dropped by 2 yuan to 782 yuan/wet ton. The spread between high - and low - grade ores stopped falling and rebounded. The spread between PB powder and Super Special powder increased from around 70 yuan/ton to around 95 yuan/ton. The 01 - 05 contract spread oscillated last month, fluctuating narrowly in the range of 20 - 25 yuan/ton [8]. 3.2 Fundamental Analysis 3.2.1 Demand Driving Force Significantly Weakened - In October, the demand for iron ore fluctuated at a high level but gradually weakened. The daily average molten iron production of 247 steel mills in October was 240,100 tons/day, a month - on - month increase of 1,900 tons, but the weekly data decreased continuously month - on - month, dropping to 236,360 tons at the end of the month. Steel mill profits shrank significantly, and the profitability rate dropped to 52.2%, a month - on - month decrease of 7.3%. Terminal steel demand was weak, and the pressure of steel inventory accumulation was transmitted to the raw material end, suppressing iron ore consumption. The port desilting volume decreased month - on - month, and steel mills actively reduced their imported ore inventories with weak restocking intentions [10][34]. - Overseas, in October, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 25 basis points as expected. The crude steel production of major iron ore importing countries has been poor. In September 2025, the global crude steel production of 70 countries/regions included in the World Steel Association statistics decreased by 1.6% year - on - year [11]. 3.2.2 Supply: Overseas Shipments Stable - China's iron ore imports decreased year - on - year this year, but the decline has recently narrowed. From January to September, China imported 917.69 million tons of iron ore, a year - on - year decrease of 0.1%. The Simandou iron ore project in Guinea is expected to be put into operation smoothly, and the first shipment is planned for November this year. Its annual production capacity is 120 million tons, and it is expected to significantly increase production in 2026 and enter a rapid growth phase from 2027 - 2028 [14]. - In October, the global iron ore shipment volume increased slightly month - on - month and remained at a high level. The weekly average shipment volume reached 3.302 million tons, an increase of 18,000 tons compared with September. The shipments of major mines in Australia and Brazil were stable. The arrival volume in China increased significantly, and the monthly average weekly arrival volume at 45 ports was 2.438 million tons, a month - on - month increase of 92,000 tons [15]. 3.2.3 Iron Ore Port Inventory - In the previous month, port iron ore inventories continued to accumulate. As of October 31, the total inventory of imported iron ore at 45 ports in the country reached 145.42 million tons, a month - on - month increase of 5.65 million tons. The inventory accumulation was due to weakening supply - demand. The arrival volume increased significantly, while the desilting volume decreased, and steel mills slowed down their restocking. In the future, the arrival volume will remain high, but the molten iron production is under pressure to decline, and the port inventory will enter a seasonal accumulation cycle [23][24]. 3.2.4 Steel Mill Inventory Situation - In October, steel mills actively reduced their inventories and became more cautious in procurement. As of the end of the month, the total imported ore inventory of 247 sample steel mills was 88.49 million tons, a month - on - month decrease of 2.3 million tons, and the inventory - to - consumption ratio dropped to 30.35 days. Currently, the profitability rate of steel mills has dropped to 52%, and cash profits have significantly declined. With the deepening of the downstream demand off - season and increasing finished product inventory pressure, it is expected that steel mills will mainly have rigid demand and there will be no large - scale restocking [26]. 3.2.5 Domestic Mine Production Situation - In October, the production of domestic iron ore mines was stable with a slight decline. Affected by environmental protection restrictions and safety production inspections, the iron concentrate powder production of national sample mines remained at around 47,600 tons, a slight month - on - month decrease of 0.21. The capacity utilization rate of domestic mines also declined to 60.96%. The supply elasticity of domestic mines is limited, and the market share of domestic mines has slightly shrunk [27][30]. 3.2.6 Shipping Freight Situation - In October, the Baltic Dry Index (BDI) was stable. As of November 4, the BDI index was reported at 1,958 points, a month - on - month increase of 1.3%. On November 4, the freight rate for the Dampier - Qingdao route in Australia was $9.31/ton, a decrease of $0.26/ton in a month, and the freight rate for the Tubarao - Qingdao route in Brazil was $22.95/ton, a month - on - month decrease of $1.21/ton. It is expected that the shipping market will still lack driving force [31]. 3.3 Market Outlook - The demand side will continue to weaken. Steel mills will be more cautious in procurement, and the demand for iron ore will be further suppressed. The supply side is expected to remain stable, and port inventories may continue to accumulate. It is expected that the iron ore price will show a volatile and pressured trend, with a focus range of 700 - 810 yuan/ton [34][35].