Iron ore stockpiles at Chinese ports saw a minor increase during the week ending on June 24 amid a continued trend of subdued transactions.

Inventories of iron ore at 25 major Chinese ports stood at 75.18 million tons from June 18 to June 24, marking a week-on-week increase of 520,000 tons, or 0.7 percent, according to a report released by Xinhua News Agency.

The price index for 63.5-percent-grade iron ore imports edged up 1 point from the week ending on June 17 to reach 113 points, while the index for 58-percent-grade iron ore gained 2 points to 104 points.

Despite the price rise, the market did not see a significant improvement in trading volume, indicating a continued standoff between buyers and sellers, the report said, adding that prices are expected to fall with the arrival of the slack season for the steel industry.