Benchmark Dalian iron ore futures were flat to slightly higher in early trade on January 15 as shrinking inventory of the steelmaking raw material stocked at China's ports kept investors wary about supply prospects.
The Dalian Commodity Exchange's most-traded iron ore contract, with May expiry, rose as much as 0.8% to 671.50 yuan/t ($97.37/t). It turned flat by 0317 GMT.
The front-month February contract on the Singapore Exchange, however, slipped 0.9% to $94/t.
Steel mills' restocking demand ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays later this month provided an additional boost to prices, although thin trading volumes in both spot and futures markets suggest that the inventory-building activity may be coming to an end.
The spot price of the benchmark 62% iron-content ore jumped $1.80/t to $96.50/t on January 14, the highest since mid-September last year.
Supply-side concerns have resurfaced as iron ore inventory at China's ports had fallen for two straight weeks to 127.90 million tonnes as of January 10, the lowest since mid-December last year, data showed.
China's iron ore imports in January are expected to drop on a year-on-year basis as shipments from top suppliers Australia and Brazil declined last month, according to Helen Lau, metals and mining analyst at Argonaut Securities in Hong Kong.
It normally takes around one month to ship Australian iron ore to Chinese ports, she said.
"This, coupled with a declining inventory at ports - down 5% since November due to strong steel production - should continue to underpin iron ore price recovery," Lau said.
Spot and futures prices have so far risen more than 3% this year, adding to last year's gains, driven by worries over supply and still-robust demand from China, which makes half of the world's steel supply.
The Shanghai Futures Exchange's most-traded steel rebar contract was up 0.1% as of 0309 GMT. Hot-rolled steel coil, used in cars and home appliances, rose 0.5%.
"The strong recovery in import and export growth in December is a turnaround for market sentiment, greatly easing concerns about a possible rapid economic slowdown in China in 2020," Argonaut's Lau said.
Dalian coking coal slipped 0.3%, while Dalian coke dropped 0.2%.
Shanghai stainless steel futures were down 0.3%.
(Writing by Tammy Yang Editing by Jessie Jia)
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