Recasts and adds detail, context and quotes throughout

By Amy Lv and Lewis Jackson

BEIJING, Nov 7 (Reuters) - China's iron ore imports in October stayed above 100 million tons for a fifth straight month, underpinned by robust shipments boosted by higher prices and resilient demand from the world's largest consumer.

China brought in 111.3 million metric tons of the key steelmaking ingredient last month, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Friday.

The October volume was up from 103.84 million tons in the same month in 2024 and was the second highest monthly total so far this year, despite a fall of 4.32% from a record monthly high in September.

Major suppliers ramped up shipments to meet annual targets while higher ore prices last month also encouraged some high-cost miners to increase supply, said Xinli Chu, an analyst at broker China Futures.

Seaborne iron ore prices SH-CCN-IRNOR62 gained nearly 4% in October, supported by bets on a trade deal between China and the United States.

As prices held well above the key psychological level of $100, high-cost miners were incentivised to ramp up supply, especially when the price outlook for the next year was bearish, said analysts.

Meanwhile, demand remained firm in China with the average daily hot metal output holding at 2.4 million tons, 3% higher than the same period in 2024, data from consultancy Mysteel showed.

In the first 10 months of 2025, China's iron ore imports rose 0.7% from the same period a year before to 1,028.9 million tons.

Persistently high ore imports led to a pile-up in portside inventories, which have weighed on prices so far in November.

Stocks at major Chinese ports have climbed by 4% month-on-month to 145.42 million tons, according to Mysteel data.

Chu expected the inventory to rise to 150 million tons by the end of 2025.

STEEL TRADE

China's steel exports last month slid by 6.6% from the month before to 9.78 million tons, which were down 12.5% from a year earlier.

The October shipments brought the year-to-date total exports to 97.74 million tons, a record high for the period with an annual rise of 6.6%.

"China's steel prices remained competitive in the export market, contributing to resilient outbound shipments," said Guiqiu Zhuo, an analyst at broker Jinrui Futures.

(Reporting by Sam Li, Amy Lv and Lewis Jackson; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)

((Sam.Li@thomsonreuters.com;))