Brazilian 65 percent Fe iron ore is priced at $122/mt, up from $120/mt last week, CFR China.
Ore prices remain firm due to strong Chinese demand and steel producers restocking before the February holidays.
The export price of blast furnace grade pellets is now $140/mt, against $138/mt previously, CFR China, reflecting a stable premium relative to equivalent sinter feed fines.
The premium for Brazilian high-grade ore with 65 percent iron over Australian ore containing 62 percent iron is currently 7.3 percent, down from 7.6 percent previously. This rate remains historically low and shows that steel producers are not especially interested in the improved performance of higher-quality products in blast furnaces.
In the Brazilian domestic market, reference prices are now $97/mt for the ore and $115/mt for pellets, against respectively $95/mt and $113/mt previously, ex-works and excluding taxes.