The most-traded iron ore contract on the Dalian Commodity Exchange ended the session up just 0.1% at 626.50 yuan ($88.95).

The checks follow a spate of fatal coal mine accidents that stirred concerns over poor safety conditions.

But for the short term, Fitch analysts have raised their iron ore price forecast for 2019 from $80/tonne to $90/tonne.

Refined copper cathode production by major Chinese smelters increased by 5.3% in July.

The most-traded iron ore contract on the Dalian Commodity Exchange, for January 2020 delivery, fell as much as 5.4% to 628 yuan ($89.11) a tonne.

Cobalt, copper, nickel and lithium are expected to see increasing demand from the EV trade in the years ahead.

China customs is due to report its July rare earth export data on Thursday.

The remote Outback region of northern Australia would seem an unlikely outpost in the simmering global trade war, but the mining hot spot may help solve a critical issue for the U.S.