Steel’s future is being forged in a crucible of competing demands. As the global push for greener production gains momentum, today’s market continues to favor low-cost, lower-grade ores. This “iron ore paradox” puts producers, investors and policymakers at a pivotal intersection. While economic realities make lower-grade ores attractive now, the industry can’t ignore the drive to decarbonize steel production. 

The SGX 65% Fe iron ore futures contract reached record trading volumes as Chinese steelmakers sought high-grade ores amid tighter production restrictions. This surge underscores the growing role of premium-grade iron ore derivatives in global steel and raw materials markets.

The rationale for MB-IRO-0009 iron ore 65% Fe Brazil-origin fines, cfr Qingdao index on Friday August 8 had erroneously omitted the judgment for carry-over step. The rationale entry has been corrected as follows: Fastmarkets’ index for iron ore 65% Fe Brazil-origin fines, CFR Qingdao fell by $0.08 per tonne from the previous day. The price movement was […]

The price was initially published as $115.73 per tonne. This has since been corrected to $117.26 per tonne. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated to reflect this change. This price is part of the Fastmarkets steel raw materials package. For more information or to provide feedback on this correction notice or if you would like to provide […]

Following a recent proposal to amend the specifications of the MB-IRO-0009 iron ore 65% Fe Brazil-origin fines, cfr Qingdao index – specifically, the increase in the silica base specification from 2.2% to 2.7% – Fastmarkets will introduce the high-grade iron ore, 0.5% Si VIU, cfr Qingdao index. This new index is designed to support the market’s transition and provide […]

Following an initial consultation with the market, and a review of the typical data sets that have been collected over recent months, Fastmarkets is proposing the changes to the name and specifications of the index for iron ore 62% Fe fines, fot Qingdao (MB-IRO-00011), and iron ore 62% Fe fines, fot Qingdao, $/tonne conversion (MB-IRO-00022), […]

The purpose of this review is to ensure that the index continues to accurately reflect prevailing market conditions. We welcome feedback from industry participants on potential amendments to the base specification. This consultation, which is open until August 9, 2025 seeks to ensure that our methodologies continue to reflect the physical market under indexation, in […]

Following an initial consultation with the market and a review of the typical data sets that have been collected over recent months, Fastmarkets is proposing changes to the specifications of the index for MB-IRO-0009 iron ore 65% Fe Brazil-origin fines, cfr Qingdao, by raising the silica base specification to 2.7% from 2.2%, as well as an […]

The fixed-price equivalent in the trade log in these indices’ rationale was missed. The trade log entry has been corrected as follows: Vale, COREX, 170,000 tonnes of 62% Fe Brazilian Blend fines, traded at the July average of Fastmarkets’ 62% Fe low-alumina fines plus a premium of $0.40 per tonne, laycan July 17-26 (fixed-price equivalent […]

The publication of Fastmarkets’ iron ore indices for Friday June 20 was delayed due to a technical issue. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated. The following indices were affected:MB-IRO-0191 61% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao, $/tonneMB-IRO-0008 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao, $/tonneMB-IRO-0144 62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao, $/tonneMB-IRO-0015 Iron ore 58% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao, […]