China's Increased Iron-Ore and Coal Imports Impact Global Commodity Markets
China has reported a significant increase in its imports of iron-ore and coal for the first quarter of the year, according to customs data cited by Reuters. Iron-ore imports rose by 11.5% year-on-year in March, reaching 104.7 million tons, driven by larger shipments from Australia and seasonal restocking by steelmakers. This increase is part of a broader quarterly rise of 10.5%, totaling 314.7 million tons. Conversely, China's steel exports decreased by 12.6% in March and 9.9% year-on-year for the quarter. Meanwhile, coal imports increased by 1% year-on-year in March to 39 million tons, with a quarterly rise of 1.3% to 116 million tons. However, imports of unwrought copper and copper products fell by 10.9% year-on-year in March, with a quarterly decline of 14.2%. 
