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Macro Australian Economy

Why Iron Ore Prices Just Fell 3.1% Is Important — It’s Australia’s #1 Export

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By Ryan Dinse, Wednesday, 25 March 2020

Iron ore is Australia’s number one export. Australia is the world’s iron ore powerhouse, with Brazil a close second. If iron ore prices fall below that and keep falling this is bad news. It will have a big effect on the Australian governments bottom line...

Iron ore is Australia’s number one export.

It’s the raw material used to make steel.

Steel production has been in great demand for almost two decades, mainly due to the rise of China and the building boom that came with it.

You need vast quantities of steel to make bridges, buildings, railways, airports and structures of all kinds.

Australia is the world’s iron ore powerhouse, with Brazil a close second. These two countries dominate iron ore production.

Australia's Top Commodity Exports 2020 - Iron Ore Price

Source: Commodity.com

The price of iron ore is of great importance to the profits — and in turn shareholders — of our iron ore miners.

Big miners like Rio Tinto Ltd [ASX:RIO] and Fortescue Metals Group Ltd [ASX:FMG] have huge exposure to iron ore.

Both companies are in the top 20 ASX-listed companies.

They make up a big part of almost everyone’s superannuation holdings through managed funds.

Aussie ASX Miners - Iron Ore Miners

Source: Disfold.com

But the price of iron ore isn’t just important to shareholders, it’s also important to the budget of the Australian government.

And that’s why the recent falls come at a bad time…

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The effect on the bottom line

If you look at this chart you can see the price of iron ore is on the verge of starting a new downtrend:

Iron Ore Price Chart - AUD Iron Ore Price

Source: Incredible Charts

The key price support is around US$79.

If iron ore prices fall below that and keep falling this is bad news. It will have a big effect on the Australian governments bottom line — not a good thing given the crisis we’re in and the increased government spending that’s coming with it.

Analysis from Treasury last year stated:

‘If the iron ore price was to fall immediately to $US55 per tonne, four quarters earlier than assumed, nominal GDP could be around $5.8 billion lower than forecast in 2018-19 and $10.6 billion lower in 2019-20.

‘This would result in a decrease in tax receipts of around $0.5 billion in 2018-19, $2.6 billion in 2019-20 and $1.0 billion in 2020-21.’

Some think such falls are a distinct possibility.

Wood Mackenzie research director Paul Gray recently said:

‘We’re not yet looking at a glut of seaborne iron ore. But risks are escalating, and the balance is tilting towards a bigger hit to iron ore demand than supply.’

A key indicator

There’s no question this is a key commodity for Australian investors to watch.

Any surprise to the upside could be a great indicator that things could be about to get better. And that could be a contrarian signal to look out for.

Conversely if the bears are right, then watching this might allow you to act cautiously in the months ahead and not get swept up in any bear market rallies.

It’s certainly a key indicator for me right now…

Good investing,

Ryan Dinse

Editor, Money Morning

PS: Looking for assets that could handle a potentially lengthy bear market? Check out my analyst’s latest report ‘The Coronavirus Portfolio.’ You can get that for free here.

All advice is general advice and has not taken into account your personal circumstances.

Please seek independent financial advice regarding your own situation, or if in doubt about the suitability of an investment.

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Ryan Dinse

Ryan is a former financial advisor who over seven years helped more than 600 clients and had more than $150 million under management. This experience taught him that the mainstream investment industry has no interest in helping clients strive for greatness. He was told to make ‘safe’ investment plays and settle for average returns. It wasn’t good enough for Ryan.

In 2016, he embarked on a renewed mission: to help ordinary people lock onto extraordinary trends before they go mainstream. He’s an experienced small-cap trader and an expert in cryptocurrencies. He first bought Bitcoin [BTC] in 2013, when it was around US$600.

His crypto advisory is a must for anyone looking to make digital assets a part of their long-term portfolio. Check it out here. His tech advisory Alpha Tech Trader aims to identify and latch onto strong emerging opportunities in the tech sector, wherever they are in the world. Get more info here.

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All advice is general in nature and has not taken into account your personal circumstances. Please seek independent financial advice regarding your own situation, or if in doubt about the suitability of an investment.

The value of any investment and the income derived from it can go down as well as up. Never invest more than you can afford to lose and keep in mind the ultimate risk is that you can lose whatever you’ve invested. While useful for detecting patterns, the past is not a guide to future performance. Some figures contained in our reports are forecasts and may not be a reliable indicator of future results. Any actual or potential gains in these reports may not include taxes, brokerage commissions, or associated fees.

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