The price for Brazilian high-grade iron ore, with 65 percent iron content, is now $123/mt against $119/mt one week ago, CFR China.
Sources indicate the increase is due to lower iron ore shipments to China in early September and continued strong steel exports from China.
The export price of blast furnace grade pellets is now $141/mt against $138/mt previously, CFR China, reflecting a stable premium relative to equivalent sinter feed fines.
The premium for Brazilian high-grade ore, containing 65 percent iron, relative to Australian 62 percent iron ore, based on their iron units, declined to 11.7 percent from 13.0 percent previously, maintaining a high premium in historical terms, reflecting the interest of steel producers for the high performance of premium products when processed in blast furnaces.
In the Brazilian domestic market, reference prices are now $95/mt for the ore and $114/mt for pellets, against respectively $93/mt and $111/mt previously, ex-works and excluding taxes.
In August, Brazil exported 38.069 million mt of iron ore (pellets excluded) and 2.14 million mt pellets, against respectively 38.947 million mt and 2.095 million mt in July.
The iron ore was destined to Asia (33.777 million mt, of which 29.576 million mt to China), The Middle East (1.494 million mt), Europe (1.341 million mt), South America (646,100 mt), Algeria (497,400 mt), and Mexico (314,460 mt).
The pellets were destined to South Korea (485,700 mt), Japan (352,000 mt), Egypt (322,400 mt), the United Arab Emirates (198,000 mt), Trinidad and Tobago (165,300 mt), Argentina (133,900 mt), and the Netherlands (173,500 mt), while small volumes were shipped to Libya, Vietnam, and Turkey.