Australia's largest bulk export terminal set a historical record for iron ore shipments in May. Despite weather issues at the beginning of 2025 that had suppressed exports, the cumulative freight volume so far this year has still reached a historic high.
According to Zhizhong Finance APP, Australia's largest bulk export terminal set a historical record for iron ore shipments in May. Despite weather issues in early 2025 suppressing exports, the cumulative freight volume so far this year has still reached an all-time high. According to data from Pilbara Port Authority, Hedland Port's export volume rose to 53.1 million tons last month, an increase of 13.7% from April. Bloomberg calculated that the cumulative freight volume this year has reached 0.2334 billion tons, the highest level recorded since 2010.
As a major export hub to China, the port was temporarily closed in the first quarter of this year due to the strongest cyclone attack in many years, and the recent resurgence in shipment volume is attributed to the recovery of capacity after the disaster. The Hedland Port group located in Western Australia handles cargo for producers such as BHP Group Ltd (BHP.US) and Fortescue, and its operational status is an important indicator for measuring national shipment volume.
The data from Hedland Port aligns with the Australian government's forecasts. The government expects national export volume to increase to 0.908 billion tons by 2025, although the total export value may decline due to falling prices. Additionally, according to customs data, Brazil, the world's second-largest iron ore producer, also saw an increase in shipments in May, reaching 35.1 million tons.
As of the time of this report, iron ore prices have fallen by 0.56% to $93.34 per ton. Futures prices have cumulatively decreased by about 9% over the past 12 months.
