Treasurer Jim Chalmers will meet with the boss of BHP amid a shock report that the world's largest mining company faces a Chinese blockade on its iron ore shipments.

Beijing's state iron ore buyer has told steelmakers to pause imports of BHP ore, amid hardball negotiations over the price of the crucial resource, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.

Dr Chalmers said the reports were "concerning" but ultimately a matter for the company to work through.

"I'll have discussions with (BHP chief executive) Mike Henry about that in due course, when we can set that up," he told reporters in Brisbane on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the measure was "disappointing."

"Let's hope, certainly, that they are very much short term," he said.

"When people are negotiating over price, sometim

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