SYDNEY - Iron ore shipments to China from Australia's Port Hedland terminal fell 12 percent in October from a month earlier, port data released on Tuesday showed.
Iron ore shipments to China from the world's biggest iron ore port totalled 32.8 million tonnes in October, compared with September's 37.4 million tonnes, according to the Pilbara Ports Authority.
The October figure was also down 7 percent from the same month a year earlier, according to port figures.
Total October iron ore shipments from the port totalled 40.1 million tonnes, down 2 pct on the same month a year earlier.
Port Hedland is used by three of Australia's top four iron ore miners, BHP Billiton, Fortescue Metals Group and Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting.
(By Byron Kaye; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)