Iron ore futures fell on Friday as continued weakness in China’s property sector and disappointing economic data dampened market sentiment.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), China’s economy showed further strain in July. Industrial output growth slowed to 5.7pct YoY from 6.8pct in June, while fixed-asset investment in January-July rose just 1.6pct, down from 2.8pct in the first half of 2025. Property investment plunged 12pct in the period, with residential housing down nearly 11pct, both on YoY basis. New construction starts by floor area dropped 19.4pct, following a 20pct fall in H1.
Chinese steel output in July fell over 4pct YoY to 79.66 mln tons, partly due to extreme weather disrupting downstream activities. However, production by CISA-affiliated mills in early August rose 4.7pct from late July, hinting at a possible rebound.
Market uncertainty was also fuelled by reports that steel mills in Tangshan were told to temporarily halt production ahead of a military parade in Beijing this September.
On the Dalian Commodity Exchange, the most-traded January iron ore contract fell 1.08pct to 776 yuan (USD 108.1) per ton, ending the week 0.96pct lower. Coking coal and coke futures edged up 0.33pct and 0.49pct to 1,230 yuan (USD 171) and 1,729.5 yuan (USD 241) per ton, respectively.
On the Shanghai Futures Exchange, rebar futures slipped 0.41pct to 3,188 yuan (USD 444) per ton, HRC rose 0.2pct to 3,439 yuan (USD 479), wire rod fell 0.61pct to 3,411 yuan (USD 475), and stainless steel declined 0.54pct to 13,010 yuan (USD 1,813) per ton.
1 USD / 7.17 yuan
CHINESE STEEL FUTURES
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Date: 8/15/2025 |
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| Material | Closing Price (in yuan) |
Difference from Night Session (pct) |
Difference from Previous Morning Session (pct) |
| Wire Rod | 3,411 |
-0.61 |
-0.26 |
| HRC | 3,439 |
0.20 |
0.20 |
| Rebar | 3,188 |
-0.41 |
-0.03 |
| Stainless Steel | 13,010 |
-0.54 |
-0.12 |
| Iron Ore | 776 |
-1.08 |
0.13 |
| Coke | 1,729.5 |
0.49 |
1.30 |
| Coking Coal | 1,230 |
0.33 |
1.30 |
