Iron ore prices have increased in the Chinese spot market, but were compensated, in FOB terms, by increased sea freight rates, resulting in stable prices in Brazil for sinter feed fines and pellets, while for lumps the prices have increased in average by $9/mt, due to a higher premium over sinter feed fines.
Sinter feed fines of 65 percent iron contents are now traded for export from Brazil at $61/mt, the equivalent lumps at $82/mt, and blast furnace grade pellets at $119/mt, all FOB conditions.
In the Brazilian domestic market, for equivalent ores, the prices are $55/mt for sinter feed fines, $76/mt for lumps, and $113/mt for blast furnace grade pellets, ex-works, no taxes included.
Preliminary indications by the country’s customs authorities point to a 10 percent reduction, in June, from the 39 million mt of combined iron ore and pellets exported from Brazil in May.