Ex-Australia and ex-Brazil import iron ore prices for China mostly soften slightly

As of April 18, prices of import iron ore for China from Australian and Brazil have mostly softened slightly on week-on-week basis, with ex-India offers moving sideways, while transaction activity for import iron ore in the past week has been at medium levels. At the same time, traders’ offers of domestic production iron ore have remained stable in Liaoning Province, though edging down in Tangshan, with overall transaction activity for domestic production ore at low-to-medium levels. 

At present, Indian fine ores of 63.5 percent grade are offered at $95.1/mt at Qingdao port. Meanwhile, quotations of 66 percent iron ore concentrate in Tangshan stand at $99/mt and prices of the same material are at $102/mt in Beipiao, Liaoning, both including VAT. Prices of domestic production and imported iron ore in China are presented in the following table.

In the first part of the given week, import iron ore prices edged up as arrivals of import iron ore at ports continued to fall. In the latter part of the given week, iron ore futures prices at Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) moved down, causing iron ore prices in the spot market to soften. At the same time, iron ore shipments from Australia began to increase, also negatively affecting iron ore prices. It is thought that import iron ore prices for China will likely edge down in the coming week.

Imported iron ore prices

The prices are deal prices in local market.  

13 percent VAT is included in all prices and all prices are ex-warehouse. 

Domestic iron ore prices in local Chinese market

13 percent VAT is excluded in all prices and all prices are ex-warehouse.

$1 = 6.71 RMB