Australia’s iron ore sector remains the backbone of global steel supply, but the conditions that underpinned its rise are beginning to shift. After decades of rapid expansion, the industry is entering a more constrained phase, shaped by maturing assets, tighter margins and evolving demand from key markets.

In this episode, we examine GlobalData’s latest outlook for Australian iron ore to 2035, exploring how slower production growth, ageing Pilbara assets and a tightly concentrated export market are reshaping the industry.

With output still expected to rise modestly toward 1.1 billion tonnes, the focus is turning from expansion to replacement. At the same time, there is a shift from volume to quality, as decarbonisation is changing steelmakers’ needs, placing greater emphasis on higher-grade ore and new processing pathways.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6VwJlf70m3oIz734sRh1mc

Joining the discussion are GlobalData’s director of mining research and analysis Dave Kurtz and mining analyst Prasanna Lakshmi, who break down the numbers behind the forecast, from project pipelines and production dips to pricing pressure and China’s continued dominance in demand.

We assess whether Australia is entering a steady plateau or a more fundamental transition in the iron ore market.

Alejandro Gonzalez, editor of GlobalData’s Mining Technology title, is the host for this episode of Energy Technology: Industry Insights.

Find more news and strategic insights into all things energy on ⁠⁠Power Technology⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Offshore Technology⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Mining Technology⁠⁠, all free to access. For quick daily updates, make sure to subscribe to our ⁠⁠newsletters⁠⁠.

"New episode: What’s next for Australia’s iron ore sector?" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.

 

The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.