Iron ore shipments from Australia's Port Hedland fell in July from a record a month earlier, supporting Goldman Sachs Group's view that scheduled terminal maintenance probably hurt performance.

Exports totalled 35 million metric tons, the Pilbara Ports Authority said in a statement Thursday. That's down from 38.4 million tons in June and compares with 36.1 million tons a year earlier, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. While the authority said it'll publish a detailed breakdown next week, 35 million tons would be the lowest monthly total since November.

Ore prices sank in early July to the lowest level since at least 2009 as demand faltered in China, before rebounding into a bull market. Australian shipments were disappointing during the month, Goldman Sachs said in a July 27 report, while it reaffirmed its outlook for increased low-cost supply in the second half and renewed price losses. Port Hedland handles cargoes from BHP Billiton and Fortescue Metals Group, the country's largest producers after Rio Tinto Group.

Ore with 62 per cent content delivered to Qingdao fell 0.7 per cent to $US56.40 a dry ton Thursday, slipping from the highest in a month, Metal Bulletin Ltd. data show. While prices have rebounded from $US44.59 on July 8, a record low for the data series, they're still down 21 per cent this year. Futures in Dalian fell 0.9 per cent to 373.5 yuan ($US60) a ton on Thursday.

Scheduled maintenance at some terminals in Australia could have affected shipments, Goldman Sachs analyst Christian Lelong said. When operations among major producers are back at full strength and the new Roy Hill mine opens in a few months, prices will probably resume a decline, he said.�