TIANJIN -- China's Tianjin Port saw iron ore imports rise about 60 percent year-on-year to around 57.06 million tons last year, the Tianjin Customs said Monday.

The sustained growth in iron ore imports has been attributed to the huge demand for raw materials from the country's steel industry which gained momentum as a result of China's effective epidemic control in 2020.

The iron ore imports via private enterprises doubled to 17.59 million tons in the period, while that via State-owned enterprises surged 50 percent to 27 million tons.

The port on the coast of the Bohai Sea is a pivotal shipping outlet for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.