Interestingly enough China has little, if any, iron ore and gets much of its needs from Canada. The ore goes out the St Lawrence seaway, around South America and across the Pacific. My contacts there tell me the Chinese have contracted for every taconite pellet from there for years to come.
Jeeze, they don’t even use the panama canal? I would think it would be better for them to buy american ore and ship it down the ohio river into the gulf and through the canal. tHen maybe build a foundry somewhere in the solomon islands.