‘Different things’: BHP says Chinese steel tariffs won’t hurt its iron ore business
CFO Vandita Pant suggested the mining giant is not concerned by potential flow-on effects on its iron ore business from Australian tariffs on Chinese steel.
Mining giant BHP has pushed back against suggestions from a Chinese official that the Albanese government’s tariffs on steel products could hurt Australian iron ore exports, as the ASX behemoth seeks to mitigate the impact of “tough” price negotiations with the country’s centralised buyer.
The Australian government recently imposed tariffs on a range of Chinese steel products following investigations by the Anti-Dumping Commission. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has also directed the Productivity Commission to consider whether safeguard measures should be levied on fabricated steel imports to protect local industry, as first reported by the Financial Review.
After interim duties on hot-rolled steel coil were imposed in December 2025, a representative from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce argued against their imposition and highlighted that “significant volumes” of the key steelmaking ingredient iron ore come from Australia, “reflecting the deeply interwoven industrial and supply chain cooperation and mutual benefit”.
The case was made by Chinese Trade Remedy and Investigation Bureau first secretary Fan Xi in a letter to the commission in January, which also urged the commission to “refrain from negatively impacting the stable and healthy cooperation between the industries of both countries”.
