Riding the Iron Ore Cycle: Actions of Australia’s Major Producers

Since 2014, a more challenging operating environment has developed for iron ore producers. Prices have declined and growth in demand has fallen short of forecasts. Within Australia, there has been some controversy over the reasons behind these new market conditions. In particular, there has been significant media and political comment that major local iron ore producers may have manipulated the market to drive out competitors, or engaged in sub-optimal market behaviour requiring rectification through policy intervention. This paper investigates if there is any truth to this commentary.