Backed by a weaker U.S. dollar and resilient demand for this steel-making ingredient, iron ore futures rose on Wednesday, although weakness in China's real estate sector limited gains.

The most traded iron ore contract in September on the Chinese commodity exchange in Dalian (DCE) ended the day up 0.76% at 728.5 yuan (101.10 dollars) per metric ton. The June reference price for iron ore on the Singapore Stock Exchange was up by 0.45% to $99.85 per ton at 07:04 GMT. Broker Hexun Futures reported that demand for iron ore has exceeded expectations, especially as steel mills continue to operate at high levels. Iron ore prices were also supported by a weaker US dollar, which fell slightly on Wednesday, extending a two-day drop compared

The other steel-making ingredients on DCE declined during the day, with coking coal and coke falling by 0.36% and 0.14% respectively.