PRICING NOTICE: Update on proposal to amend specification of MB 65% Fe Iron Ore Index

Following a one-month consultation period, Fastmarkets MB will implement the proposed specification changes to the MB 65% Fe Iron Ore Index from Monday December 3.

The amendment was proposed to realign the base specification of the index with the prevailing quality of high-grade fines traded on the spot market, which would minimize the need for price normalization in the index-calculation process.

Feedback gathered from market participants has been supportive of the proposed changes because the amendments are also in line with longer-term expectations of product specifications in the high-grade fines segment. This will ensure the index remains more product-aligned in terms of quality further into the future.

As of December 3, the full new specifications for the MB 65% Fe Iron Ore Index are as follows:

Price: US$ per dry metric tonne, cfr China
Material origin: Brazil
Fe content: Base 65.0%, range 63.5-66%
Silica: Base 1.7%
Alumina: Base 1.5%
Phosphorus: Base 0.08%
Sulfur: Base 0.01%
Moisture: Base 9.0%
Granularity: >90%<10.0mm, <30%<0.15mm
Trade size: Minimum 30,000 tonnes
Payment terms: Payment at sight
Delivery port: Base Qingdao
Delivery period: Within 10 weeks
Publication: Daily at 6.30pm Singapore time
Data history: From August 2013

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 Peter Hannah by email at: pricing@fastmarkets.com. Please add the subject heading “FAO: Peter Hannah, re: MBIOI-65-BZ.”

All of Fastmarkets MB’s pricing methodology and specification documents can be found here.

What to read next
Fastmarkets has corrected its assessments for used renewable diesel del Los Angeles and San Francisco on December 18th.
Fastmarkets proposes to launch a price index for Canadian hot-rolled coil, following market feedback for the need of a distinct Canadian price after the imposition of 50% Section 232 tariffs effectively bifurcated the Canadian market from the US market.
Fastmarkets has corrected its AG-SYB-0082 Crush Margin US Soy M1 c$/bu price, which had all forward curve months published incorrectly in the month of April 2025 and M2 published incorrectly in October 2025.
Fastmarkets is clarifying the holiday pricing calendar for its price assessments for pig iron exports from Brazil and pig iron imports in the US.
Following an informal consultation with the market, and a review of typical data sets that are collected over the recent months, Fastmarkets now proposes to increase the frequency of MB-BX-0016 Bauxite, cif China, $/dmt price to weekly basis and extend the timing of the price to reflect cargoes for arrival within 90 days, as well as moving the publish time to Friday from Wednesday.
Fastmarkets has launched the MB-BX-0017 Bauxite, FOB Guinea price, $/dmt on Friday December 19, 2025.