In recent decades, many bulk carrier incidents, including loss of life and vessels, have occurred owing to the liquefaction of solid bulk cargoes. Currently, the transportable moisture limit (TML) is the only parameter used to determine the liquefaction potential of a mineral for maritime transport. This study aimed to investigate the influence of the particle size distribution of iron ore fines (IOF) on the liquefaction potential of bulk cargoes for maritime transport. The correlation of liquefaction potential with IOF particle size distribution is of great interest to ore transport companies, as they have a variety of IOF sizes that can be mixed to improve liquefaction potential. The effect of IOF particle size distribution on TML was investigated using the flow table test and the Proctor-Fagerberg test, and the behavior of the shear strength parameters was studied by performing a direct shear test for different IOF gradations. The samples were prepared in four different gradations, containing particle sizes from 9.5 mm to 25 mu m with fines contents (< 150 mu m) of 5.2%, 15.6%, 19.3%, and 22.6%. We concluded that the liquefaction phenomenon is significantly influenced by the IOF particle size distribution, the liquefaction potential decreases with an increase in the IOF content, and the shear strength parameters are altered by the fines content of IOF, having one transitional fines content for the internal friction angle. There is a complex relationship between the IOF particle size distribution and the Coulomb cohesion factor that is influenced by the moisture content, the fines content, and the void ratio. In this study, a methodology is proposed for classifying the liquefaction potential of IOF samples, with the objective of helping transport companies to define the mixes of IOF sizes. Agreement between the experimental and theoretical data is observed and discussed. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.