MMI Daily Iron Ore Index Report January 20 2026 in Chinese iron ore and steelmaking prices 20/01/2026 Iron ore prices on the Dalian Commodity Exchange opened sharply lower today, followed by a narrow-range rebound. The main contract, I2605, ultimately closed at 789.5 yuan/ton, down 1% from the previous trading day. Spot prices also edged down by approximately 3–7 yuan/ton compared to the previous session. Traders showed moderate enthusiasm in quoting prices, largely aligning with market trends, while steel mills maintained cauƟous inquiries and focused on replenishing inventories based on immediate needs. Overall market trading acivity remained subdued. On the fundamental data front, SMM research indicates that this week’s blast furnace maintenance led to an iron ore demand impact of 2.0283 million tons, a slight increase of 22,800 tons from the previous week. The marginal change in demand due to maintenance disruptions remained limited, with overall hot metal production staying stable. In terms of the supply-demand structure, as the Spring Festival restocking window opens, inventory across the industrial chain is expected to shft from ports to steel mills. However, from a total balance perspective, the overall supply situation remains relatively loose, offering limited fundamental support. In terms of market sentiment, recent safety incidents have heightened expectations of stricter policies, raising concerns that blast furnace production may face tighter safety regulations. Additionally, with the Spring Festival approaching, rumors of environmental production restrictions have resurfaced, further fueling risk aversion and gradually intensifying bearish sentiment. Taking into account both the current supply-demand dynamics and policy-related uncertainties, iron ore prices are expected to face significant upward pressure in the short term, making a substantial breakout unlikely. Prices are likely to remain under pressure and trade within a narrow range. Download PDF Source: Metals Market Index (MMI) 2026-01-20 hellenicshippingnews... window.___gcfg = {lang: 'en-US'}; (function(w, d, s) { function go(){ var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], load = function(url, id) { if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;} js = d.createElement(s); js.src = url; js.id = id; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }; load('//connect.facebook.net/en/all.js#xfbml=1', 'fbjssdk'); load('https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js', 'gplus1js'); load('//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js', 'tweetjs'); } if (w.addEventListener) { w.addEventListener("load", go, false); } else if (w.attachEvent) { w.attachEvent("onload",go); } }(window, document, 'script')); tweet Share