Iron Ore & Steel
Steel sector to push for higher-level supply, demand balance Source: China Daily China will step up efforts to address the “involution-style” competition in its steel sector by implementing strict controls on crude steel output, exploring new mechanisms for capacity governance and promoting coordinated efforts among the government, industry and enterprises, said Xia Nong, vice-president of the China Iron and Steel Association. FULL STORY
Rio Tinto CEO: China a key hub for innovation Source: China Daily Rio Tinto is strategically targeting China’s growing demand for critical minerals, capitalizing on the country’s energy transition and high-quality development goals to expand its footprint in its largest market. FULL STORY
Vale and Shandong Shipping ink deal on world’s first ethanol-powered vessels
Source: China Daily Vale and Shandong Shipping Corporation have signed a Contract of Affreightment for new ethanol/methanol tri-fuel Guaibamax vessels, which are scheduled for delivery starting in 2029. FULL STORY
Baosteel China will review its investment in Saudi Arabia due to the uncertainty caused by the Iran war
Source: Energy News Baoshan Iron & Steel Co, ‘China’s largest listed steelmaker said it would reevaluate investment into a steel joint venture? in Saudi Arabia. Baosteel and Saudi Aramco signed agreements to create a joint venture for the production of steel plates in Saudi Arabia in 2024. Baosteel will hold 50% of the joint venture, while Saudi Aramco (25%) and PIF (25%) each take 25%. FULL STORY
Huayou, a Chinese company, has cut production at an Indonesian nickel factory as sulphur prices rise
Source: Energy News Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt announced on Tuesday that the Indonesian unit will temporarily stop some production lines starting May?1, cutting about half of the plant’s output. This is after rising sulphur costs increased costs at one its key battery nickel projects. FULL STORY
Ecuador signs $1.7 billion mining deal with China’s CMOC Group Source: Mining Ecuador has signed a mining contract with the local subsidiary of China’s CMOC Group for the Los Cangrejos mining project, Ecuador’s energy ministry said on Monday, putting the total expected investment at more than $1.7 billion. FULL STORY
BHP completes its supply agreements with China and is now able to deliver iron ore
Source: Energy News The iron ore price ranged on Wednesday as the steelmakers restocked in a frenzy of activity before the holidays. BHP, ‘the world’s third-largest supplier of iron ore, announced that it had completed iron ore contract negotiations with China Mineral Resources Group (CMRG), a state buyer. FULL STORY
After BHP, China’s CMRG close to iron ore deal with Fortescue
Source: Mining Fortescue Ltd is close to signing a supply agreement with China’s state-backed iron ore buyer, according to a person familiar with the matter, following a BHP Group deal that drew a line under months of talks. FULL STORY
China’s aluminum exports to surge as Mideast disruptions persist Source: Mining Chinese aluminum exports are expected to surge in coming months as buyers look for other sources of the metal to offset disruptions in the Persian Gulf. FULL STORY
China copper consumption to grow by 3.7% annually through 2035, Minmetals says
Source: Mining Refined copper consumption in top metals market China shows no signs of peaking and could grow by an average of 3.7% annually over the next decade, a researcher from state-owned China Minmetals Corp said on Tuesday. FULL STORY
China to ban sulfuric acid exports as Iran war hits supply
Source: Mining China has indicated it will halt exports of sulfuric acid from May, hitting metals and fertilizer industries already strained by raw material bottlenecks resulting from the Iran war. FULL STORY
WEEKLY: China mines’ iron ore output, stocks both retreat
Source: Mysteel After a two-week rise, production of iron ore concentrates among Chinese mining companies retreated slightly during the past week, with the reduction being observed mainly in the northern regions of the country, Mysteel’s latest survey showed. FULL STORY
Global iron ore shipments edge higher w-o-w; Atlantic rebound offsets mild Australia easing
Source: Mysteel Canadian, South African shipments surge on smoother logistics. Pacific freights supported by Chinese demand, but sentiment mixed. FULL STORY
GACC: China’s iron ore imports rise 12% YoY in March
Source: Mysteel China’s iron ore imports in March totaled 104.7 million tonnes, rising by a significant 11.5% from the same month last year, according to the latest statistics released by the country’s General Administration of Customs (GACC) on April 14. FULL STORY
Coal
Russian coking coal exports to China showed strong growth in Q1 2026 Source: The Coal Hub In January–March 2026, Russian coking coal exports to China jumped up to 8.88 mio t (+0.73 mio t, or +9% y-o-y). In March, shipments surged to 3.37 mio t (+0.54 mio t, or +19% y-o-y, and +46.5% versus February 2026), because handling in ports was limited by adverse weather conditions in February, and part of February’s cargo was shifted to March as the weather improved. Higher shipment volumes were also supported by 2.6 times increase in transshipment at the Elga port, reaching 2.3 mio t (+1.4 mio t, or +159% y-o-y). FULL STORY
Mongolia’s March coal output surges 60% YoY as Chinese demand stays strong Source: Mysteel Mongolia’s coal output for all uses reached 9.85 million tonnes in March, surging 60% on year, according to data recently released by the country’s National Statistical Office (NSO). FULL STORY
CNCA: Q1 output of top 10 Chinese coal groups dips 1% YoY
Source: Mysteel Raw coal output among China’s top ten coal producers totaled 594 million tonnes in the first quarter of this year, down 0.8% from the same three months of last year, according to new statistics from the China National Coal Association (CNCA). FULL STORY
WEEKLY: China’s thermal coal rises on tighter supply and stronger demand Source: Mysteel China’s thermal coal market firmed up over April 2024, supported by tightening supply in producing regions and stronger demand as utilities brought forward pre-summer restocking. Bullish sentiment gathered further momentum amid active procurement ahead of the Labour Day holiday (May 1-5). FULL STORY
DAILY: China ramps up seaborne thermal coal buying for summer
Source: Mysteel Chinese coastal power producers have stepped up procurements of seaborne thermal coal to prepare for the upcoming summer peak demand season, providing support to prices of both Australian and Indonesian cargoes. FULL STORY
NBS: China’s coal output holds steady in key producing hubs in March
Source: Mysteel China’s raw coal output remained broadly stable in March, as major production regions maintained steady supply, suggesting limited disruptions from the central government’s ongoing crackdown on mine overproduction. FULL STORY
GACC: China’s thermal coal imports fall 8% YoY in March Source: Mysteel China’s thermal coal imports declined in March, as elevated seaborne prices and ample domestic supply cooled buying interest. Imports of the power generation fuel totalled 25.92 million tonnes during the month, down 8.2% year on year, according to data from the General Administration of Customs (GACC). FULL STORY
GACC: China’s coal imports rise 0.8% YoY in March
Source: Mysteel China’s total coal imports reached 39.06 million tonnes in March 2026, up by 0.8% on year, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) on April 14. FULL STORY
Grain
China retains stable supply of fertilizers
Source: China Daily Rising tensions in the Middle East could drive up costs for China’s agricultural sector by hiking global energy and fertilizer prices, although the country’s domestic food supply remains stable, according to officials and industry experts. FULL STORY
Stable grain output, lower soybean imports forecast for nation in 2026 Source: China Daily China’s grain output is expected to inch up in 2026, while imports of several major agricultural products, particularly soybeans, are projected to decline for the first time in recent years, according to a new agricultural outlook report released on Monday. FULL STORY
Ukraine, China sign agreement for flour exports Source: World Grain The governments of Ukraine and China have signed an agreement that will open the door for Ukrainian flour exports to the Chinese market. FULL STORY
China sharply increased soybean imports in March and expects significant soybean shipments from Brazil in April and May Source: Grain Trade According to Oil World, in March, China imported 4.59 million tons of 7 major oilseeds (4.09 million tons in March 2025), of which 4.02 (3.5) million tons were soybeans. FULL STORY
China targets sharp cut in soybean imports by 2035 in self-sufficiency drive
Source: Milling MEA China has set a clear target to cut its reliance on imported soybeans over the next decade. The Ministry of Agriculture projects that purchases will fall to 82.55 million tons by 2035, according to its latest agricultural outlook. FULL STORY
Investigation exposes friction with China and raises concern in the Brazilian market
Source: Datamar News The Brazilian government’s decision to open an investigation into possible dumping in Chinese soy protein imports comes against a broader backdrop of trade tension involving the main product of Brazil’s agribusiness sector: soybeans. Although the formal focus of the probe is a specific derivative product, the move highlights the sensitivity of the trade relationship between Brazil and China, the destination for more than 70% of Brazil’s soy complex exports. FULL STORY
Brazil ships first DDG batch to China, opening new feed market Source: Ukr Agro Consult Brazil has shipped its first-ever batch of DDG (distillers dried grains) to China following the implementation of a new sanitary protocol between the two countries. The move opens a new market for Brazilian feed products and expands export opportunities. FULL STORY
SunSirs: China’s Soybean Imports Down 3.1% in Q1 2026
Source: Sun Sirs According to the latest data from the General Administration of Customs, China imported 4.019 million tons of soybeans in March 2026. For the period from January to March 2026, China’s cumulative soybean imports totaled 16.584 million tons, representing a year-on-year decrease of 3.1%. FULL STORY
Energy
Domestic gas and oil production helps China weather global headwinds
Source: China Daily China secured stable domestic oil and gas supply in the first quarter, effectively dampening external shocks from global geopolitical tensions, including conflicts involving the Middle East, according to authorities. FULL STORY
CNOOC sees record output in first quarter
Source: China Daily China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) achieved a net output of 205.1 million barrels of oil equivalent in the first quarter of 2026, a year-on-year increase of 8.6 percent, hitting a new historical high. FULL STORY
China set to extend fuel export ban with small exemptions, sources say Source: AJOT China is poised to extend its ban on refined fuel exports into April, five industry sources with knowledge of the matter said, though exemptions could be applied to small volumes bound for countries in the region that have requested help. FULL STORY
Brazil’s Petrobras reduces US oil exports to zero during Q1, China takes the lead as the top destination Source: Energy News The conflict in Iran has shifted oil flows around the globe, and China is now the final destination of 62% (or more) of Petrobras’ crude oil exported abroad. FULL STORY
Sinopec refinery usage drops but chemical exports increase due to the Iran war
Source: Energy News Sinopec, a Chinese company, said that its refinery and petrochemical utilization rates fell in the first quarter due to the U.S./Israeli war on Iran which disrupted the feedstock supply. However its chemical exports will grow strongly this year. FULL STORY
China’s LNG imports are falling, which is helping Asia to adjust to the Iran war losses Source: World Energy News In April, Asia’s LNG imports are expected to fall to their lowest level in six years as the Strait of Hormuz effectively closes. This will cut off cargoes coming from Qatar, a major LNG supplier.FULL STORY
China and Turkmenistan Sign Deal to Build Phase Four of Galkynysh Gas Field Source: World Energy News Turkmenistan’s state gas company – and China’s CNPC – signed a deal ‘on Thursday’ to build the fourth stage of Turkmenistan’s Galkynysh ‘gas field. This field produces a large % of Turkmenistan’s annual ’30 ‘billion cubic meters’ in gas exported to China.FULL STORY
Data shows that Russia has delivered a second LNG cargo to China after the sanctions
Source: World Energy News LSEG data revealed that Russian energy giant Gazprom delivered a second LNG cargo to China after the sanctions were lifted.FULL STORY
China’s crude oil output in March is at a record high, but the country’s March oil consumption has slowed due to Middle East supply concerns
Source: World Energy News China’s crude oil output in March fell 2.2% year-on-year as the Iran war curbed refinery operations, while domestic crude production hit a record high.FULL STORY
China “Aggressively” Dumps Oil In Tenders As Iran War Reshapes Flows
Source: Oil Price
-Mercuria CEO Marco Dunand says Chinese oil companies have been aggressive sellers in global crude tenders over the past two to three weeks.
-Possible drivers include releases from Chinese oil inventories, continued sales of Iranian barrels, and bets the Strait of Hormuz reopens sooner than expected.
-Dunand gives the selling roughly three more weeks before China has to rethink its position, a window that tracks with the Iran war endgame.FULL STORY