Prices for seaborne iron ore concentrate and pellets rose in the week ended Thursday February 11, with the gains coming despite persistently soft demand due to the start of a weeklong holiday in China to mark the Chinese New Year.
Fastmarkets iron ore indices
66% Fe concentrate, cfr Qingdao: $184.47 per tonne, up $7.90 per tonne.
65% Fe blast furnace pellet, cfr Qingdao: $214.57 per tonne, up $2.30 per tonne
Key drivers
While premiums for concentrate cargoes were unchanged during the week, prices for the product were estimated by market participants to have increased. This was largely due to upward movements in the forward-month 65% Fe swaps contract on the Singapore Exchange, an analyst in Singapore said.
The most-traded 65% Fe swaps March contract had an average price of $182.09 per tonne last week, up by $10.83 per tonne from a week earlier, according to data released by the exchange.
Demand for iron ore concentrate is expected to remain slightly supported after the February 11-17 public holiday in China due to the product being flexible enough for both sintering...