Get started

Launch of DR-grade iron ore pellet premium weekly indicator

After a consultation period, Fastmarkets has launched a weekly indicator for direct-reduction (DR)-grade iron ore pellet premiums, known as the iron ore DR-grade pellet premium indicator, $ per tonne.

December 1, 2022
By Ross Yeo
Pricing notice

The new assessment is designed to provide an indication of the theoretical price and market sentiment in the DR-grade pellet market, which operates via long-term contracts, with premiums settled on a quarterly basis.

The indicator has been launched alongside the existing assessment of the iron ore DR-grade pellet premium to 65% Fe fines index, Middle East reference, which reflects the quarterly contract price.

The specifications of the new assessment are as follows:

MB-IRO-0186 Iron ore DR-grade pellet premium indicator, $ per tonne
Quality: 94% of pellets <9.0mm; Fe content, base 67.5%; silica, base 1.5%; alumina, base 0.5%
Quantity: Minimum 10,000 tonnes
Location: All origins, all destinations
Unit: USD per dry metric tonne
Payment terms: Payment on sight, other terms normalized to base
Publication: Wednesdays, 4pm UK time.

DR-grade pellet premiums are quoted over the index for iron ore 65% Fe Brazil-origin fines, cfr Qingdao.

To provide feedback on this price, or if you would like to provide price information by becoming a data submitter to this price, please contact Marina Shulga by email at: pricing@fastmarkets.com. Please add the subject heading ‘FAO: Marina Shulga, re: DR grade iron ore pellet premium indicator.’

To see all Fastmarkets’ pricing methodology and specification documents, go to https://www.fastmarkets.com/about-us/methodology.

What to read next
Fastmarkets proposes to amend publication times, holiday pricing schedule for Asian base metals assessments
Fastmarkets proposes to amend the publication times and holiday pricing schedule for a number of its base metal assessments for the Asian market, with the proposed changes to come into effect from Monday May 18.
April 3, 2026
 · 
By Fastmarkets pricing team
Delayed publication of India recycled containerboard domestic prices
The publication of Fastmarkets’ India domestic recycled containerboard price assessments for Friday April 3 will be delayed due to staffing availabilities.
April 2, 2026
 · 
By Fastmarkets pricing team
Delayed publication of European low-carbon aluminium differentials, inferred prices
The publication of Fastmarkets’ European low-carbon aluminium differential assessments for Thursday April 2 were delayed because of a procedural error. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated.
April 2, 2026
 · 
By Fastmarkets pricing team
Correction to European low-carbon aluminium inferred premium midpoint assessments
Fastmarkets has corrected its MB-AL-0379 Aluminium 6063 extrusion billet premium, ddp Italy (Brescia region), inferred low-carbon, and Aluminium 6063 extrusion billet premium, ddp North Germany (Ruhr region), inferred low-carbon midpoint assessments, which were published incorrectly on Friday April 2, due to a procedural error.
April 2, 2026
 · 
By Fastmarkets pricing team
Fastmarkets to change the timestamp of several agriculture prices
Fastmarkets plans to change the timestamp of several of its agriculture prices linked to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and MIAX Futures Exchange to align the time of publication with the exchanges’ settlement time. The change in timestamp will affect both premiums and outright prices that use those futures as an underlying benchmark, with the change to take effect on May 11.
April 2, 2026
 · 
By Fastmarkets pricing team
Correction to steel hot-rolled coil index domestic, exw Northern Europe and inferred prices: pricing notice
Fastmarkets has corrected its price and rationale for MB-STE-0028 steel hot-rolled coil index domestic, exw Northern Europe and the assessments for MB-STE-0905 green steel base price HRC exw Northern Europe, daily inferred and MB-STE-0912 flat steel reduced carbon emissions, daily inferred, exw Northern Europe, which were published incorrectly on Wednesday April 1.
April 2, 2026