The ‘Iron-Ore Market 2009 to 2011’ report, produced by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) Trust Fund Project on iron-ore information, states that, after seven years of consecutive growth, global production of iron-ore decreased 6,2% in 2009, reaching just under 1,6-billion tons, with output decreasing in most countries except in some major producing countries such as South Africa, Australia and India, all of which had a production increase.

In the developed market economies, iron-ore production fell by 10,5%, while Australian and South African production rose by 13%. India had the fastest-growing production at just over 15%.

Brazil recorded a decrease of 6,7%, while China produced 234-million tons of iron-ore, marking a 20% decrease since 2008, states the Unctad report.

Developing countries accounted for less than 59% of the world’s iron-ore production in 2009, while the Commonwealth of Independent States accounted for 12% and the industrialised economies for 29% of production.
The report states that, despite the decline last year, the production of iron-ore has grown by 65% since 2000, an increase of 628-million tons.
Meanwhile, international iron-ore trade grew, as exports increased by 7,4%, reaching 955-million tons, with developing countries accounting for 49% of the total exports in 2009 and developed countries accounting for 51% of the exports.

Australia’s exports increased by 17%, reaching a total of 363-million tons in 2009. Exports from India also increased by some 9%, while Ukraine exports increased by 21%, and exports from South Africa by 36%. Markets in Europe and the US declined, with Brazil decreasing by 3%, states the report.

Further, China had imports of 628- million tons, which is an increase of 41%. Almost all other countries’ imports fell: Japan’s imports decreased by 25%; the Republic of Korea’s imports decreased by 15% and European imports by 45%.

Developing countries were responsible for almost 76% of the total imports in 2009.

Unctad believes that, owing to the developments of the first few months of 2010, this year will see an increase in iron-ore production when compared with figures for 2009, mainly because of devel- opments in China.

The Chinese crude steel production during the first four months of 2010 was 213,9-million tons, resulting in an increase of 25% for the corresponding period in 2009. The imports of iron-ore in the first quarter were up by 18% to reach 155-million tons, compared with only 131,5-million tons in the first quarter of 2009.

Japanese imports in the first three months of this year were 32,4-million tons, while 2009 saw only 22,6-million tons; and Brazilian imports are up by 21%, reaching 62,6-million tons, the report concludes.

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