Reporting by Muyu Xu and Manolo Serapio Jr.; Editing by Clarence Fernandez Following a surge in demand in 2017 , an official from Hubei 's largest listed steelmaker, Baoshan Iron & Steel Co , has claimed that iron ore demand in the country has already peaked and is expected to stay flat. Chinese imports of the material passed the one billion tonne threshold for the second consecutive year in 2017 , with steel mills focusing on high quality iron ore due to steep government-enforced emissions curbs. However, Manolo Serapio Jr. , an assistant to the company president, said mini mills that use only scrap metals as feedstock are expected to rise as scrap stockpiles grow.
Following a surge in demand in 2017 , an official from Hubei 's largest listed steelmaker, Baoshan Iron & Steel Co , has claimed that iron ore demand in the country has already peaked and is expected to stay flat. Chinese imports of the material passed the one billion tonne threshold for the second consecutive year in 2017 , with steel mills focusing on high quality iron ore due to steep government-enforced emissions curbs. However, Manolo Serapio Jr. , an assistant to the company president, said mini mills that use only scrap metals as feedstock are expected to rise as scrap stockpiles grow.