Iron ore futures slipped on Friday and were also on track for a weekly fall, despite a rebound on Thursday on stimulus hopes, as the persistently weak economic data in top consumer China dented demand prospects and hampered investor sentiment.
The most-traded May iron ore contract on China’s Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) ended daytime trade 1.76% lower at 948.5 yuan ($132.36) a metric ton, the lowest since Dec. 21, 2023, endingthe week with a 5.5%decline.
The benchmark February iron ore on the Singapore Exchange slid 3.28% to the lowest level since Dec. 6 at $129.9 a ton, as of 0738 GMT, falling6.3% week-on-week so far.
China’s consumer prices extended decline for a third month in December, while factory-gate prices also fell, official data showed, highlighting persistent deflationary pressures in an economy struggling to mount a solid recovery.
Faltering demand due to thin margins among Chinese steelmakers also undermined iron ore prices this week.
“The wave of pre-holiday restocking for raw materials from mills might turn out to be weaker than expected amid the continuous loss suffering,” analysts at Huatai Futures said in a note.
China’s iron ore imports in 2023 hit a record high, up 6.6% from a year before, customs data showed on Friday, thanks to stronger demand amid a lack of government-mandated steel output caps and higher-than-expected steel exports.
Elsewhere, Ferrexpo FXPO.L reported a 33% slump in annual production of iron ore pellets as the Ukraine-focused miner waded through a second year of disruptions caused by the Russian invasion.
Other steelmaking ingredients on the DCE were mixed, with coking coal DJMcv1 up 0.42% while coke DCJcv1 nudged down 0.19%.
Steel benchmarks on the Shanghai Futures Exchange broadly ticked up. Rebar SRBcv1 was flat, hot-rolled coil SHHCcv1 added 0.2%, wire rod SWRcv1 climbed 0.39% and stainless steel SHSScv1 ticked up 0.43%.
Some traders have shown interest in replenishing steel products following a rebound after persistent price falls, improving market sentiment and supporting futures prices, analysts said.