With iron ore prices having increased in the Chinese spot market, coupled with lower sea freight rates, iron ore prices in Brazil have increased on weekly basis in average by $2/mt for sinter feed fines and lumps, while a higher premium has increased by $8/mt the price of pellets.
Sinter feed fines of 65 percent iron contents are now traded for export from Brazil at $59/mt, the equivalent lumps $83/mt and blast furnace grade pellets at $127/mt, FOB conditions.
In the Brazilian domestic market, for equivalent ores, the prices are $53/mt for sinter feed fines, $77/mt for lumps and $121/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, while pellets exports fetched 3.13 million mt, against 3.20 million mt in November.