Chinese steelmaker Baowu Group has shipped its first cargo of iron ore from its flagship Bomi project in Liberia, said its subsidiary Baowu Resource in a statement, marking the successful commissioning of its first controlled overseas mine in West Africa.

The 46,000-tonne shipment left Monrovia's BMC port on December 24 and is expected to arrive in China in February.

The launch of iron ore exports from Bomi comes just 13 months after the miner began construction at the site in October 2022.

Challenges along the way included funding and staffing shortages, poor maintenance conditions, long period for equipment supply, and severe rainy weather, the statement said.

Bomi's commissioning helps Baowu meet its corporate target to put at least one overseas project into production in three years. It also provides experience for developing other mining assets in Africa, the statement added.

The project now aims to boost production capacity and transportation efficiency while lowering costs through ongoing optimization of mining plans, road haulage organization and transhipment processes.

Liberia represents an important source of strategic iron ore resources for China's raw materials security. Bomi's successful launch demonstrates Chinese miners' ability to establish new overseas supply chains within demanding schedules.

It marks another step forward in Baowu's international expansion and China's growing investment footprint in African mining as major producers seek to diversify supply.

(Writing by Alex Guo  Editing by Harry Huo)
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