Australia reiterates commitment to being reliable iron ore supplier to China

As the world's largest iron ore supplier, Western Australia remains committed to being a reliable supplier to the Chinese steel industry, according to public and private sector representatives at a major industry event.

"China has been the state's largest trading partner for nearly two decades… Western Australia is the largest iron ore supplier in the world and China is the world's largest consumer of iron ore," said David Michael, Western Australia's Minister for Mines and Petroleum.

Michael was speaking at Monday's opening of the three-day 2025 APAC Steel and Iron Ore Industry Conference in Western Australia's state capital, Perth.

The main hosts of the event include the Metallurgical Council of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (MC-CCPIT), the Perth branch of the China Chamber of Commerce in Australia, and iron and steel consultancy firm Mysteel.

Iron ore supply from Western Australia totaled 920 million metric tons last year, Michael noted.

The state, positioned as a vital partner in China's steel manufacturing ecosystem, remains committed to supporting and being a reliable supplier to the Chinese steel industry, with an important role in diversifying and decarbonizing energy-intensive industries, Michael said.

Western Australia's "strong, prosperous, and mutually beneficial relationship with China is a direct result of the hard work, the systems, and talent of the many companies, institutions, and individuals" represented at the conference, he added.

The conference serves as an important platform for stakeholders to tap trade and investment opportunities while strengthening bilateral cooperation, he added.

Speaking at the conference, Su Buxin, executive deputy secretary general of the MC-CCPIT, said that, due to the current global low-carbon transformation in steel production, the iron ore industry is "facing a dual challenge in the scarcity of high-quality iron ore and the surge in demand for high-quality raw materials".

"To stabilize the supply and demand relationship of products, it is even more important to expand areas of cooperation, such as working together in the research and development of low-carbon technologies," Su said.

With China as its largest market, Australia's iron ore exports remain the country's biggest earner.

They are set to account for more than 25 percent of all resource and energy commodities over the next two years, with iron ore export earnings forecast to hit A$105 billion ($68.2 billion) in 2025–26 alone, according to recent figures from the Australian Department of Industry, Science, and Resources.

Referring to that industry forecast, Australian Minister for Resources Madeleine King said the country's companies are expected to remain competitive on the world stage amid easing global commodity prices.

The Perth conference is focusing on market trends and opportunities, covering fields such as the evolution of China's steel sector, supply chain innovation, green mining operations and low-carbon development.

Gerhard Veldsman, CEO of major industry player Hancock Iron Ore, said at the conference that "the future of our industry lies in genuine partnerships".

"There's a real opportunity to move beyond traditional customer supply dynamics and work across the Asia-Pacific… defining win-win relationships," he said.

"This could mean collaborating on new technologies, joint research, simply sharing expertise," said Veldsman, adding that work is already starting on partnerships to roll out technologically advanced intelligent conveyor systems for the industry.