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Port Hedland iron ore bulk carrier

Port Hedland iron ore exports drop 3% in April led by China decline

Iron ore exports from Port Hedland were down 3% month-on-month in April, led by a 5% decrease in Chinese sales from 38.14 million tonnes in March 2021 to 36.30 million in April 2021.

According to the latest data on Cargo Stats by Destinations from Port of Port Hedland, China accounted for 80% of Australia’s total Iron Ore exports of 45 million tonnes for the month.

After China, the next highest-volume destinations for Port Hedland iron ore were South Korea at 9.5%, followed by Japan at 6.3%.

Port Hedland Export Data – April 2021. Data source: Pilbara Ports Authority

China data

China imported 36.30 million tonnes of Iron Ore in April 2021 from Port of Port Hedland, which is a 6% drop Year-over-Year compared to the 38.72 million tonnes in April 2020, and a 5% decrease compared to March 2021 data of 38.14 million tonnes.

Republic of Korea

With an import of 42.93 million tonnes of Iron Ore in April 2021 from Port of Port Hedland, the Republic of Korea’s share of imports moved higher by 7% compared to 40.05 million tonnes in April 2020. However, this is a 1.6% decrease compared to March 2021’s 43.63 million tonnes.

Japan

The Japanese import of Iron Ore for April 2021 from Port of Port Hedland surged by nearly 7% to 28.51 million tonnes compared to March 2021 data of 26.67 million tonnes. The country’s total imports had stood at 15.96 million tonnes for April 2021, which is a massive 78.6% increase Year Over Year.

Indonesia

From Port of Port Hedland, the Iron Ore imports by Indonesia for April 2021 stood at 0.697 million tonnes, translating to 1.55% of 45.09 million tonnes for the month. This is a 104% increase compared to March 2021 data of 0.341 million tonnes and a 64% surge year-over-year compared to April 2020 data of 0.424 million tonnes.

Taiwan

Taiwan, Province of China, imported 0.563 million tonnes of Iron Ore from Port of Port Hedland in April 2021, accounting for 1.25% of 45.09 million tonnes for the month. This translates to a 29.30% surge YoY compared to April 2020 data of 0.435 million tonnes and a 29.75% decrease compared to March 2021 data of 0.801 million tonnes.

Other countries

Viet Nam’s share of Iron Ore imports from Port of Port Hedland stood at 0.351 million tonnes, which is a slight decrease of 0.17% compared to March 2021 data of 0.352 million tonnes. Viet Nam did not have any Iron Ore imports from Port of Port Hedland in April 2020.

The Philippines imported 0.035 million tonnes of Iron Ore in April 2021 from Port of Port Hedland.

Written By Jonathan Norris
Jonathan is a founder of Mining.com.au and has been covering the resources industry since 2018. With over 17 years experience in print, broadcast and online media, Jonathan has seen first hand the transformative effect of online niche media.