Ex-India pellet prices have been kept stable over the past week but trade activity has fallen silent due to wide bid-offer disparity and sellers having negligible exportable volumes available, SteelOrbis learned from trade and industry circles on Friday, September 5.
Sources said that ex-India pellet prices are stable in the range of $107-115/mt (CFR) CFR China with the price at the higher end effective for high grade with silica-alumina content less than three percent.
However, the sources said that, while some bids were reported at $110/mt CFR, these were rejected by sellers either because of being considered too low or because sellers did not have deliverable stocks at port stockyards, having diverted most volumes inland for sales to domestic mills at better margins.
“Pellet producers are seeking a minimum price of $125/mt CFR for overseas sales to at least match domestic sales margins which currently are about INR 1,750/mt ($19/mt) higher than current ex-India prices,” a member of the Pellet Manufacturers’ Association of India (PMAI) said.
“Ex-India pellet prices will need to consolidate very strongly if sales overseas are to revive. We do not see that happening in the medium term. Pellet producers will not be keeping stocks idle at ports as there is strong local demand at better prices,” he added.