Brazilian iron ore shipments rise 4%

Brazil is the world’s second-largest exporter of iron ore, accounting for 23 per cent of global shipments.
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Brazilian iron ore shipments between January and August 2025 are expected to rise 4 per cent year-on-year, supported by stronger mining activity. Shipments to China have increased despite weaker demand, replacing shipments from Australia, Peru and India,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO, a global shipping community in 120 countries.

Brazil is the world’s second-largest exporter of iron ore, accounting for 23 per cent of global shipments, while Australia leads with 54 per cent of cargoes. Out of global shipments, 73 per cent are destined for China while an additional 11 per cent go to other East Asian countries. Notably, 89 per cent of global shipments are transported via the Capesize (the largest class of dry bulk cargo ships) segment, including VLOCs, but this figure is as high as 97 per cent for Brazilian cargoes, he said.

Published on August 25, 2025