Insight

Value-in-use iron ore costs Q1 2025

Get this report*

$5,000

You can pay by card or invoice

For details on how your data is used and stored, see our Privacy Notice.
 

- FAQs about online orders
- Find out more about subscriptions

*Please note that this report only includes an Excel data file if this is indicated in "What's included" below

The average global value-in-use (VIU) iron ore cost for Q1 2025 is US$55.6/t (62% Fe fines basis, CFR China). This cost is down 7.2% from the previous quarter and 3.3% from the same time in 2024. We expect a slight decline in energy prices for Q1 2025 quarter-on-quarter but pressure from rising labour costs and general inflation persists. In 2025, a strong dollar will offset increases in costs denominated in local currencies. We have updated Indian and African iron ore costs for Q1 2025.

Table of contents

  • Executive summary
  • Lump premiums rose, but pellet premiums fell in Q1 2025
  • Fines and impurities
  • Cash margins of Australia and Brazil to rise in Q1 2025
  • China’s costs and supply
  • VIU assumptions

Tables and charts

This report includes the following images and tables:

  • Q1 2025 value-in-use adjusted iron ore cost curve (CFR China, 62% Fe fines equivalent)
  • Q1 2025 VIU adjusted cost by country (CFR China )
  • Q1 2025 VIU adjusted cost by percentile (CFR China)
  • Q1 2025 seaborne iron ore cash costs by operator (CFR China, unadjusted for quality)
  • Q1 2025 seaborne iron ore cash costs by operator (CFR China, 62% Fe fines equivalent)
  • Q1 2025 China value-in-use adjusted cost curve (62% Fe fines equivalent)

What's included

This report contains:

  • Document

    Value In Use Adjusted Iron Ore Costs Methodology.pdf

    PDF 159.54 KB

  • Document

    Value-in-use iron ore costs Q1 2025

    PDF 957.74 KB