Reflecting slightly reduced prices in the Chinese spot market, coupled with stable ocean freight rates, iron ore sinter feed fines and pellets prices declined from last week in average by $1/mt in Brazil.
Conversely, the price of iron ore lumps showed a small increase, reflecting the higher premium of the product in relation to the price of sinter feed fines, which indicates the scarcity of the product in Brazil.
Sinter feed fines of 65 percent iron contents are now traded for export from Brazil at $68/mt, lumps at $83/mt and blast furnace grade pellets at $112/mt, FOB conditions.
In the Brazilian domestic market, the prices are now $62/mt for sinter feed fines, $77/mt for lumps and $106/mt for blast furnace grade pellets, ex-works, no taxes included.
The Brazilian exports of iron ore (pellets excluded) in July declined from June by 6.5 percent to 29.006 million mt, while the export of pellets declined by 16.8 percent to 2.302 million mt.
Preliminary figures from the Brazilian customs authorities point to a 5 percent reduction against July of the combined volume of iron ore and pellets exported in August, frustrating positive expectations derived from the high volumes exported during the first days of August.
