Shipbroker Banchero Costa has reported sustained growth in seaborne iron ore movements, assessing that 2025 delivered a further increase in global loadings and that the upward trend carried into 2026, according to a report published by reports on 28 August 2026.
Banchero Costa's latest weekly note draws on vessel-tracking data compiled by AXS Marine to quantify the flows of iron ore around the world and to chart recent export trends.
In its review of calendar-year 2025 the shipbroker recorded a rise in global loadings of iron ore of 3.5% year-on-year, with total reported loadings of 1,732.0 million tonnes for January to December 2025 based on AXS Marine vessel-tracking figures, a dataset the firm cites in its analysis.
Volumes and data sources
The 1,732.0 million tonnes tally for 2025 described in the report was derived from AXS Marine's vessel-tracking system and presented by Banchero Costa as evidence of a broadly positive year for seaborne iron ore trade; the broker emphasised the improvement in annual loadings compared with 2024.
Banchero Costa also noted that the pace of international shipments has remained constructive into 2026, stating that export volumes through this year have continued to increase, though the report summary supplied does not quantify the extent of that rise.
Market context and immediate implications
The broker's assessment, as carried by reports, implies ongoing demand for dry bulk liftings linked to iron ore, and it underlines the importance of independent tracking data such as that provided by AXS Marine for monitoring cargo flows and fleet utilisation.
Sustained export volumes typically exert a direct influence on the dry bulk shipping sector by shaping demand for capesize and other bulk vessel segments; Banchero Costa's commentary frames 2025 and early 2026 as a period in which seaborne ore trade contributed positively to overall market activity, though the report extract available does not extend to freight-rate analysis or forecasting.
The weekly report therefore offers a data-led snapshot rather than a full market prognosis: it supplies a clear headline on tonnage moved in 2025 and points to continued export growth in 2026 while relying on vessel-tracking metrics rather than trade-balance or country-by-country customs statistics.
Taken together, the figures cited by Banchero Costa and the tracking work from AXS Marine present evidence that global iron ore shipments increased in 2025 and that exporters remained active into 2026, a development the shipping industry will follow as brokers, owners and charterers assess fleet requirements and employment prospects.
Sources carried Banchero Costa’s weekly note on 28 August 2026, summarising the broker’s use of AXS Marine data to support its conclusion that 2025 was a positive year for seaborne iron ore trade and that the current year has sustained that momentum.