19.01.2011 18:21
Brazilian pig iron market has faced another price leap. Exporters have managed to sell the material at higher prices amid the upward trend in finished steel products sector of the main import markets as well as expectations that it will persist in Q1.
Two lots of the material have been sold at $520/t FOB from northern ports, by $20/t up from the previous deals. One vessel has been reportedly booked by Nucor and another – by one of the major traders in the world market. Market participants report Nucor was negotiating to sign a contract at $500-505/t FOB, but had to accept a higher price amid rapidly growing scrap quotations in the USA and successful deals with CIS suppliers in the market. The material will be shipped at the end of March.
One of the traders has booked pig iron from the south at $500/t FOB March shipment, by $10-20/t higher than in late December and it will be reportedly shipped to Europe.
Notably, suppliers from south of the country mainly exported the material to the Middle East in 2010, as it did not meet US steel traders’ quality requirements and European ones found prices unreasonable (compared to the CIS levels). However, currently Far Eastern mills are refraining from purchasing Brazilian material because its prices are the least competitive ones.
Quotations are also going up in the domestic market and local steelmakers can buy the material at BRL 670/t ($373/t) EXW now. The exchange rate is $1 = BRL 1.673. Producers say it is unprofitable to ship pig iron within Brazil as its prices are almost equal to production costs.
Noteworthy, the region is still seeing bad weather conditions due to continuous rainfalls. Thus BFs continue to run at low utilization rates – 30-35%.
It is highly probable that new contracts will be signed by the end of January and the most likely destination will be the US market.
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