With iron ore prices increased in the Chinese spot market, coupled with stable ocean freight rates, iron ore prices in Brazil have increased on average by $2/mt from last week.
Sinter feed fines of 65 percent iron contents are now traded for export from Brazil at $58/mt, the equivalent lumps $82/mt and blast furnace grade pellets at $120/mt, all FOB conditions.
In the Brazilian domestic market, for equivalent ores, the prices are $52/mt for sinter feed fines, $76/mt for lumps and $114/mt for blast furnace grade pellets, ex-works, no taxes included.
In December, Brazil exported 30.07 million mt of iron ore (pellets excluded), against 30.74 million mt in November. Asia was the main destination (23.17 million mt, of which 18.31 million mt to China), followed by the EU (4.50 million mt) and the Middle East (1.54 million mt).
Pellet exports totaled 3.13 million mt in December, compared to 3.20 million mt in November, destined to Asia (1.03 million mt), Africa (649,500 mt), the EU (559,500 mt), South America (290,100 mt) and the US (267,800 mt), while smaller volumes were shipped to the US and the Caribbean.