1. Report Industry Investment Rating - Not provided in the document 2. Core Viewpoints of the Report - The I2601 contract of iron ore may continue to fluctuate with a bullish bias, and attention should be paid to the operation rhythm and risk control. The macro - level shows an increased expectation of loose monetary policies in China and the US. On the industrial side, iron ore shipments, arrivals, and port inventories have increased, the spot market remains generally firm, traders have a fair enthusiasm for selling, and steel mills mostly purchase as needed. The resumption of work and production in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei supports the iron ore price to run strongly [7]. 3. Summary According to Relevant Catalogs 3.1 Week - to - Week Summary - **Price**: As of September 5, the closing price of the main iron ore contract was 789.5 (+2) yuan/ton, and the price of Macfayden powder at Qingdao Port was 837 (+9) yuan/dry ton [5]. - **Shipment**: From August 25 - 31, 2025, the global iron ore shipment volume was 3556.8 million tons, a week - on - week increase of 241 million tons. The total iron ore shipment from Australia and Brazil was 2902.1 million tons, a week - on - week increase of 141.7 million tons [5]. - **Arrival**: From August 25 - 31, 2025, the arrival volume at 47 ports in China was 2645.0 million tons, a week - on - week increase of 182.7 million tons; the arrival volume at 45 ports was 2526.0 million tons, a week - on - week increase of 132.7 million tons; the arrival volume at six northern ports was 1300.8 million tons, a week - on - week increase of 147.8 million tons [5]. - **Demand**: The daily average hot - metal output was 228.84 million tons, a week - on - week decrease of 11.29 million tons and a year - on - year increase of 6.23 million tons [5]. - **Inventory**: As of September 5, 2025, the inventory of imported iron ore at 47 ports in China was 14425.72 million tons, a week - on - week increase of 37.7 million tons and a year - on - year decrease of 1653.23 million tons. The inventory of imported ore at 247 steel mills was 8939.87 million tons, a week - on - week decrease of 67.32 million tons [5]. - **Profitability**: The profitability rate of steel mills was 61.04%, a week - on - week decrease of 2.60 percentage points and a year - on - year increase of 56.71 percentage points [5]. 3.2 Futures and Spot Market - **Futures Price**: This week, the I2601 contract fluctuated with a bullish bias and was stronger than the I2605 contract. On the 5th, the price difference was 24.5 yuan/ton, a week - on - week increase of 0.5 yuan/ton [13]. - **Warehouse Receipt and Net Position**: On September 5, the number of iron ore warehouse receipts at the Dalian Commodity Exchange was 1900, with no week - on - week change. The net short position of the top 20 holders of the iron ore futures contract was 25009, an increase of 3138 compared to the previous week [20]. - **Spot Price**: On September 5, the price of 61% Australian Macfayden powder ore at Qingdao Port was 837 yuan/dry ton, a week - on - week increase of 9 yuan/dry ton. This week, the spot price of iron ore was stronger than the futures price. On the 5th, the basis was 47 yuan/ton, a week - on - week increase of 7 yuan/ton [26]. 3.3 Industry Situation - **Arrival Volume**: From August 25 - 31, 2025, the global iron ore shipment volume was 3556.8 million tons, a week - on - week increase of 241 million tons. The total iron ore shipment from Australia and Brazil was 2902.1 million tons, a week - on - week increase of 141.7 million tons. The arrival volume at 47 ports in China was 2645.0 million tons, a week - on - week increase of 182.7 million tons [31]. - **Port Inventory**: This week, the total inventory of imported iron ore at 47 ports was 14425.72 million tons, a week - on - week increase of 37.70 million tons; the average daily port clearance volume was 330.33 million tons, a decrease of 3.81 million tons. In terms of components, the inventory of Australian ore was 6017.02 million tons, a decrease of 113.29 million tons; the inventory of Brazilian ore was 5492.96 million tons, an increase of 66.20 million tons; the inventory of traded ore was 9169.96 million tons, a decrease of 58.06 million tons [34]. - **Steel Mill Inventory**: This week, the total inventory of imported iron ore at steel mills was 8939.87 million tons, a week - on - week decrease of 67.32 million tons; the current daily consumption of imported ore by sample steel mills was 280.67 million tons, a week - on - week decrease of 15.43 million tons; the inventory - to - consumption ratio was 31.85 days, a week - on - week increase of 1.43 days [34]. - **Inventory Availability Days**: As of September 4, the average inventory availability days of imported iron ore at large and medium - sized domestic steel mills was 21 days, a week - on - week increase of 1 day. On September 4, the Baltic Dry Index (BDI) was 1963, a week - on - week decrease of 62 [39]. - **Import Volume and Mine Capacity Utilization**: In July 2025, China imported 10462.3 million tons of iron ore and its concentrates, a decrease of 132.5 million tons from the previous month, a month - on - month decrease of 1.3%. From January to July, the cumulative import volume was 69656.9 million tons, a year - on - year decrease of 2.3%. As of September 5, the capacity utilization rate of 266 sample mines was 60.55%, a decrease of 2.1% from the previous period; the daily average output of concentrate powder was 38.2 million tons, a week - on - week decrease of 1.33 million tons; the inventory was 34.1 million tons, a week - on - week increase of 1.29 million tons [42]. - **Domestic Iron Ore Concentrate Output**: In July 2025, China's iron ore raw ore output was 8632.5 million tons, a year - on - year increase of 21.8%. From January to July, the cumulative output was 59591.4 million tons, a year - on - year decrease of 5.4%. In July, the output of iron concentrate powder of 433 iron mines was 2311.9 million tons, a month - on - month decrease of 18.5 million tons, a decrease of 0.8%. From January to July, the cumulative output was 16087.2 million tons, a cumulative year - on - year decrease of 1070.4 million tons, a decrease of 6.2% [46]. 3.4 Downstream Situation - **Crude Steel Output**: In July 2025, the national crude steel output was 7966 million tons, a year - on - year decrease of 4.0%. From January to July, the cumulative national crude steel output was 59447 million tons, a year - on - year decrease of 3.1% [49]. - **Steel Import and Export**: In July 2025, China exported 983.6 million tons of steel, an increase of 15.8 million tons from the previous month, a month - on - month increase of 1.6%. From January to July, the cumulative steel export volume was 6798.3 million tons, a year - on - year increase of 11.4%. In July, China imported 45.2 million tons of steel, a decrease of 1.8 million tons from the previous month, a month - on - month decrease of 3.8%. From January to July, the cumulative steel import volume was 347.6 million tons, a year - on - year decrease of 15.7% [49]. - **Blast Furnace Operating Rate and Hot - Metal Output**: On September 5, the blast furnace operating rate of 247 steel mills was 80.4%, a week - on - week decrease of 2.80 percentage points and a year - on - year increase of 2.77 percentage points; the blast furnace iron - making capacity utilization rate was 85.79%, a week - on - week decrease of 4.23 percentage points and a year - on - year increase of 2.19 percentage points. The daily average hot - metal output of 247 steel mills was 228.84 million tons, a week - on - week decrease of 11.29 million tons and a year - on - year increase of 6.23 million tons [52]. 3.5 Options Market - With the steel market entering the peak season, there is a possibility of a rebound in hot - metal output in the later stage, which may increase the spot demand for iron ore. It is recommended to buy slightly out - of - the - money call options [55].

Group 1 - The market is sensitive to seasonal fluctuations in liquidity during June, with concerns about cross-quarter funding pressures potentially leading to increased interest rate volatility [1] - The central bank's recent operations indicate a clear intention to maintain reasonable liquidity, conducting two reverse repurchase operations this month to alleviate concerns about a "liquidity crunch" [1] - Short- and medium-term bonds have performed well, leading to a decline in long-term interest rates, while bond funds are adopting a strategy of extending duration to lock in higher yields during the interest rate downcycle [1] Group 2 - Future market developments will depend on several factors, including the actual performance of funding rates in the last few trading days of June and early July, which will validate the central bank's supportive measures [2] - The market will also monitor whether institutions continue to extend duration and if the consensus expectations can be sustained [2] - The timing of the central bank's announcement to restart bond purchases is crucial; if short-term benefits do not materialize as expected, the bond market may face a correction similar to the first quarter [2]

Core Viewpoint - The People's Bank of China (PBOC) is actively engaging in liquidity management by conducting significant reverse repurchase operations to support the financial market during a critical liquidity assessment period in June [1] Group 1: Reverse Repo Operations - In early June, the PBOC announced a 1 trillion yuan (approximately 140 billion USD) three-month reverse repurchase operation [1] - On June 13, the PBOC announced an additional 400 billion yuan (approximately 56 billion USD) reverse repurchase operation with a six-month term [1] - A total of 1.2 trillion yuan (approximately 168 billion USD) in reverse repos is set to mature throughout June, indicating a net liquidity injection for the month [1] Group 2: Market Conditions - The liquidity demand from financial institutions is expected to be high in June due to the significant maturity of interbank certificates of deposit and the half-year liquidity assessment [1] - The PBOC's provision of medium-term funding support reflects its commitment to nurturing the market during this period [1]

Domestic News - The Ministry of Commerce responded to new restrictions imposed by the U.S. on China, stating that if the U.S. continues to harm China's interests, China will take strong measures to protect its legitimate rights and interests [2] International News - The U.S. has shown flexibility in reducing additional reciprocal tariffs on Japan, while negotiations between the U.S. and India may lead to a temporary agreement on tariff reductions and market access [3] - Spot silver has surpassed $36 per ounce for the first time since February 2012 [3] - The U.S. trade deficit has sharply decreased by 55.5% to $61.6 billion due to a significant drop in imports caused by Trump's tariffs [3] - The European Central Bank's interest rate statement maintains its current stance on future rate paths, with Lagarde suggesting the end of the rate-cutting cycle; the market no longer fully prices in a 25 basis point cut within the year [3]