June 24 (Reuters) - Chinese steelmakers have agreed to pay
up to 96.5 percent more for iron ore from Australian miner Rio
Tinto -- the first time the rise in Australian prices has
diverged significantly from the Brazilian hike [ID:nSHA250087].
Japanese, Chinese and South Korean steel mills in February
agreed to 65-71 percent increases in iron ore prices with the
world's No.1 producer, Vale (VALE5.SA) of Brazil.
Iron ore prices have risen steadily since 2003, having
gained about fivefold in the past decade, as China's booming
steel industry devours ever more rtaw material.
Following is a table of iron ore settlement prices for
Asian steelmakers based on data from Macquarie Group (MQG.AX)
investment bank. Prices are in U.S. cents per one percent iron
per dry tonne.
c/mtu c/mtu Pct change YoY
Standard Carajas SSF Carajas
Sinter Feed
1992 28.11 28.60 -4.9 -4.8
1993 25.02 25.51 -11.0 -10.8
1994 22.65 23.14 -9.5 -9.3
1995 23.96 24.45 5.8 5.7
1996 25.39 25.88 6.0 5.9
1997 25.67 26.16 1.1 1.1
1998 26.40 26.89 2.8 2.8
1999 23.49 23.98 -11.0 -10.8
2000 24.52 25.01 4.4 4.3
2001 25.57 26.06 4.3 4.2
2002 24.96 25.45 -2.4 -2.3
2003 27.20 27.70 9.0 8.8
2004 32.27 32.76 18.6 18.3
2005 55.34 56.18 71.5 71.5
2006 65.85 66.85 19.0 19.0
2007 72.11 73.20 9.5 9.5
2008 from Vale
118.98 125.17 65.0 71.0
2008 From Rio Tinto
Pilbara fines Pilbara lump fines lump
144.66 201.69 79.88 96.5
Source: Vale, Rio Tinto, Macquarie Research
(Compiled by Nick Trevethan and Lucy Hornby, Editing by Peter
Blackburn)
