The mining corporation BHP Group has ramped up shipments of Jimblebar iron ore to Malaysia and Vietnam, seeking new buyers following the introduction of import restrictions on this resource to China.
This is reported by Finway
Chinese Restrictions Have Led to Stockpiling
In September 2025, the state-owned China Mineral Resources Group (CMRG) prohibited Chinese metallurgical enterprises and traders from purchasing Jimblebar Blend Fines (JMBF) from BHP during negotiations for a new contract that has yet to be signed. As a result, according to two independent traders, stockpiles of Jimblebar iron ore at major Chinese ports increased by 360% — reaching 8.1 million tons as of January 13.
New Supply Routes and Efforts to Optimize Sales
According to shipping data from Kpler, on January 14, the vessel Lowlands Blue, loaded with approximately 95,000 tons of JMBF from BHP, arrived in Malaysia. This marks the first delivery of such cargo to the country since Kpler began tracking in 2019. Additionally, in December of last year, the vessel Cape Yamabuki delivered about 75,000 tons of JMBF to Vietnam. Kpler reports that this was the first instance of such a shipment to Vietnam at least since 2024.
“Although these shipments are small compared to BHP’s annual production (over 60 million tons of JMBF), these unusual deals demonstrate the Australian group’s efforts to diversify its buyers.”
BHP continues negotiations with CMRG to finalize the terms of a new contract while also optimizing its sales channels. Several market sources claim that the company has started offering additional discounts on iron ore, including Jimblebar, to stimulate sales in the Chinese market. This has already sparked interest from Vietnamese metallurgical enterprises, which have begun ordering BHP’s products.