Brazilian iron ore exports up 33% in December amid higher prices

Brazil’s iron ore exports increased by a third in December compared with a year earlier, according to statistics from the country’s economy ministry.

It shipped 33.17 million tonnes of the steelmaking raw material last month, compared with 24.99 million tonnes in December 2019.

Strong demand for steel in in China has led to mills in the country increasing their iron ore consumption, pushing prices for the steelmaking raw material to their highest in at least nine years.

Fastmarkets’ daily index for iron ore 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao averaged $155.35 per tonne in December 2020, up by 69% compared with $91.85 per tonne a year earlier.

The index was at $165.29 per tonne on Monday January 4.

Prices for Brazilian iron ore averaged $90.50 per tonne fob in December, up by 51.08% from $59.90 per tonne a year earlier, according to Brazil’s economy ministry.

The higher prices and volumes resulted in revenues from these exports doubling year on year to $3 billion last month, compared with $1.5 billion in December 2019.

Gain critical information on the demand drivers shaping the iron ore sector, including Chinese steelmaking and production forecasts in 2021 and beyond. Click here to register for the two-day virtual event Global Iron Ore 2021, to access all the related reports, news, and information free on demand.

What to read next
The United States convened more than 50 countries in Washington this week for a critical minerals summit that delivered a flurry of new initiatives designed to reshape the geopolitics — and pricing mechanics — of minerals essential to semiconductors, electric vehicles and the defense supply chain.
Glencore’s share price fell sharply on Thursday February 5 after Rio Tinto confirmed it was no longer pursuing a potential merger, ending weeks of speculation about a combination that would have created one of the world’s largest mining companies.
The US laid out its strongest push yet to reshape global critical minerals supply chains at the inaugural Critical Mineral Ministerial in Washington on Wednesday February 4, where senior officials detailed plans for an allied trade bloc built on reference prices and enforceable price floors – a potential turning point for small, strategically important markets such as tungsten.
The proposal to increase the publication frequency from monthly to weekly comes amid increased volatility of copper on the London Metal Exchange, while copper scrap discounts have been shifting on a more regular basis. This more frequent assessment will enable Fastmarkets to reflect market dynamics in a timelier manner, as well as capture more spot […]
Fastmarkets is inviting feedback from the industry on the pricing methodology for its PIX Pulp China Net indices as part of its announced annual methodology review process.
The publication of Fastmarkets’ MB-SB-0003 Antimony MMTA standard grade II, ddp China, yuan/tonne price assessment for Friday February 30 was delayed because of a reporter error.