Miningweb: China’s commodity demand surges as iron ore, copper and coal imports hit 2025 highs

Key topics:China’s iron ore, copper, coal, and soybean imports hit yearly highs in Sept.Crude oil, copper ore, and natural gas imports fell despite above last year levels.Trade tensions, manufacturing slowdown, and property woes challenge the economy..Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here..By Bloomberg News.China’s commodities purchases broadly turned higher in September as buyers stocked up to meet the usual rise in industrial demand during the autumn months.Imports of iron ore, copper metal and coal all hit their highest levels this year, while soybeans rose to a four-month best. Decliners month-on-month included crude oil, copper ore and natural gas, although the first two items were still above the levels of the year before. The relatively robust imports come despite a challenging economic backdrop, which is likely to worsen if the latest escalation in trade tensions with the US results in higher tariffs on Chinese goods. China’s manufacturing sector contracted for a sixth straight month in September, although the decline was tempered by better weather and the seasonal upturn in activity. Measures of construction and services also fell. Details of China’s commodities imports last monthChina Sept. Crude Oil Imports 47.252m Tons: CustomsChina Sept. Iron Ore Imports 116.326m Tons: CustomsChina Sept. Soybean Imports 12.869m Tons: CustomsNatural gas imports performed poorly last month, dropping 6.8% from August, after pricier seaborne cargoes slumped in the face of rising local production. Coal, by contrast, rose 7.6%, benefiting from domestic output cuts that have lifted prices and made overseas supply more attractive, particularly as utilities stock up for winter..Read more:.Miningweb: BHP-China iron ore dispute escalates, risking months of trade gridlock.Crude oil imports fell 4.5%. The international market has relied on Chinese strategic stockpiling to buoy prices, but that effort was undercut in September as some state-owned refineries shut units for seasonal maintenance and smaller outfits were hindered by thinning import quotas.Copper concentrate imports dropped 6.3% as mine disruptions, most recently at Grasberg in Indonesia, hampered supply of the smelting feedstock. Unwrought copper and products took up the slack, surging 13% as buyers switched to already processed metal.On the WireChinese shipments overseas grew at the fastest in six months, far exceeding forecasts in a sign of resilience that’s giving Beijing a stronger hand in the latest trade war with the US. Chinese wind turbine maker Ming Yang Smart Energy Group Ltd. will invest £1.5 billion pounds ($2 billion) to build a manufacturing base in Scotland, as it expands its presence in Europe. Chinese President Xi Jinping has drawn a clear red line in a bid to stem new US exports controls, threatening to reignite a tit-for-tat trade spiral with Donald Trump just weeks before a planned meeting between the leaders.Chinese consumers may finally be shedding their pandemic-induced caution, with travel and general spending during the October Golden Week holiday surging to records and topping 2019 levels for the first time, Bloomberg Intelligence said.China’s Golden Week housing data highlights property-sector woes are deepening and will likely extend into 2026.This Week’s Diary(All times Beijing)Monday, Oct. 13:China to release Sept. aggregate finance & money supply data by Oct. 15China’s Sept. trade balance and 1st batch of trade data, ~11:00Crude oil, natural gas & coal imports; oil products imports & exportsIron ore, copper & steel imports; steel, aluminium & rare earth exportsSoybean, edible oil, rubber and meat imports; fertiliser exportsPBOC’s deadline for feedback on easing licensing rules for gold imports and exportsTuesday, Oct. 14:China introduces levy on US ships calling at its portsGeothermal energy event featuring the president of Iceland in Beijing, 17:00Wednesday, Oct. 15:China’s inflation data for September, 09:30CCTD’s weekly online briefing on Chinese coal, 15:00CSIA’s weekly polysillicon price assessmentThursday, Oct. 16:Chongqing exchange holds gas forum in Zhuhai, day 1CSIA’s weekly solar wafer price assessmentFriday, Oct. 17:Chongqing exchange holds gas forum in Zhuhai, day 2China’s weekly iron ore port stockpilesSHFE’s weekly commodities inventory, ~15:30EARNINGS: Zijin Mining, Huayou CobaltSaturday, October 18China’s 2nd batch of September trade dataGrains, sugar, cotton, palm oil, pork & beef importsOil products imports & exports breakdown; LNG & pipeline gas importsBauxite, steel and aluminium imports; rare-earth product, alumina and copper exports.© 2025 Bloomberg L.P.

Miningweb: China’s commodity demand surges as iron ore, copper and coal imports hit 2025 highs

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