The update can be found here or on the Fastmarkets platform via a search of the report’s headline.

After a consultation period, which started on April 29, Fastmarkets has determined that current circumstances do not make the amendment to the MB-IRO-0010 62.5% Fe Australia-origin lump ore premium, cfr Qingdao viable. Fastmarkets reserves the right to start a fresh consultation on amending the price in future should circumstances change. To provide feedback on this decision […]

Following a month-long consultation period which took place between May 5-30, Fastmarkets will launch the daily 61% Fe fines index to better track and reflect the spot price of mid-grade sinter fines in the CFR Qingdao spot market, in line with the latest quality of mid-grade fines commonly traded in the market.MB-IRO-0191 Iron ore 61% Fe fines, […]

Several key developments will determine how the global iron ore market performs in the coming months, sources told Fastmarkets this week: uncertainty over China-US trade tensions; the likelihood of Chinese crude steel production cuts; the declining quality and premiums for mid-grade ore from Australia; and the increased use of lower-grade iron.

Given the prevailing specifications of mid-grade fines in the seaborne spot market, Fastmarkets proposes to launch the index to track and reflect the spot price of 60-63% Fe iron ore fines in the CFR Qingdao spot market, aligning with the latest quality of mid-grade fines commonly traded in the market. The specifications would be as […]

Following an initial consultation under the ongoing review of Fastmarkets’ iron ore 62% Fe fines index name and specifications, Fastmarkets is proposing changes to the name and specifications of the Fastmarkets value-in-use adjustment values. The new specifications would be as follows, with amendments in italics: MB-IRO-0018 Iron ore 61% fines, % Fe VIU, cfr Qingdao, $/tonneIron Value In Use adjustments […]

Following an initial consultation with the market, and a review of typical data sets that are collected over the recent months, the amendment also aims to ensure the index remains representative of the Australian-origin iron ore lumps in the CFR China spot market within the index specification range, including Pilbara Blend Lump and Newman Lump.  The […]

Fastmarkets proposes to change the name and base specifications of its index for iron ore 62% Fe fines cfr Qingdao to more closely align with the specifications of prevailing mid-grade fines in the CFR China market. Following an initial consultation with the market, and a review of the typical data sets that have been collected […]

Fastmarkets invited feedback from the industry on the pricing methodology for iron ore indices, via an open consultation process between March 10 to April 7 2025.This consultation was done as part of our published annual methodology review process. A full list of all the prices covered can be found in the original consultation. Fastmarkets received feedback […]

The trade log in the rationale incorrectly identified an offer as a trade. The trade log has been corrected to: Vale, COREX, 170,000 tonnes of 62% Fe Brazilian Blend fines, offered at the June average of Fastmarkets’ 62% Fe low-alumina fines plus a premium of $1 per tonne, laycan May 18-27 (fixed-price equivalent calculated at […]