<div id="readability-page-1"><div> Prices of Dalian iron ore fell on Monday to hit their lowest level in more than five months, as top consumer China's plan to roll out a licence system from 2026 to regulate steel exports cast a shadow on demand prospects.The most-traded iron ore contract on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) closed daytime trade 0.92% lower at 753 yuan ($106.85) a metric ton. It touched its lowest level since July 10 at 748 yuan earlier in the session.The benchmark January iron ore (SZZFF6) on the Singapore Exchange fell 0.47% to $101.5 a ton by 1012 GMT. The contract earlier hit an intraday low of $100.4, close to Friday's low of $100.25 - the weakest level since July 17.China's Ministry of Commerce said on Friday that it would add some steel products to its list of cargoes under export licence from January 1, 2026, as robust shipments have fuelled a growing protectionist backlash worldwide.China's ballooning steel exports have helped to offset a slump in domestic steel demand from the prolonged property market downturn, underpinning prices of the key steelmaking ingredient.China's crude steel output in November fell 3% from October, heading for six straight months of declines, curbed by thinner margins and dwindling domestic demand. But the downside room for iron ore prices will be limited, with mills expected to start restocking feedstocks to sustain operations over the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday in February, analysts at Xinhu Futures said in a note. The Chinese Lunar New Year holiday in 2026 falls over February 15-23.Coking coal NYMEX:ACT1! and coke (DCJcv1), other steelmaking ingredients, however, rose by 3.16% and 0.3%, respectively, following a slump on Friday.Most steel benchmarks on the Shanghai Futures Exchange lost ground. Hot-rolled coil shed 0.15%, wire rod (SWRcv1) slid 1.31% and stainless steel dipped 0.68% while rebar added 0.13%.($1 = 7.0471 Chinese yuan renminbi)</div></div>

Dalian iron ore prices hit a five-month low due to China's plan to regulate steel exports with a license system from 2026, affecting demand prospects. Iron ore on DCE fell 0.92% to 753 yuan, while Singapore's benchmark fell 0.47% to $101.5. China's steel exports offset domestic demand slump, but crude steel output fell 3% in November. Analysts expect limited downside for iron ore prices as mills restock for Lunar New Year.

Dalian iron ore hits five-month low as China plans to regulate steel exports