RE: Nathan Rivers Resources, Great Timing.21 Dec 2020 10:28
21 December 2020 03:01
•SGX iron ore benchmark crosses $170 a tonne
•Spot iron ore at record high above $160/T
•China's crude steel output seen up 1.4% in 2021
•Landslide in Vale mine near 2019 dam disaster site
By Enrico Dela Cruz
MANILA, Dec 21 (Reuters) – Dalian iron ore futures jumped nearly 9% on Monday as the key steelmaking raw material extended a rally powered by bullish demand outlook for 2021 and growing concerns about supply.
Iron ore has emerged as this year's top-performing major commodity globally, having gained more than 140% this year, which some analysts and traders have also attributed to huge speculative bets.
The most-traded iron ore for May delivery on China's DalianCommodity Exchange jumped as much as 8.8% to a contract high of 1,135 yuan ($173.69) a tonne, after a landslide at a mine operated by iron ore giant Vale SA added to supply worries.
Iron ore on the Singapore Exchange climbed 5% to$170.26 a tonne, crossing the $170 mark for the first time ever.
Steel commodities on the Shanghai Futures Exchange and other Dalian steelmaking raw materials also climbed to contract highs.
Top steelmaker China is expected to produce 1.065 billion tonnes of crude steel in 2021, up 1.4% from a 1.05 billion tonne forecast for this year, a government consultancy said.
"The market has optimistic expectations for next spring demand," analysts at Sinosteel Futures in Beijing said in a note.
"A large amount of risky funds" has also flowed into the market, driving prices higher, they said.
"Prices will remain above $100 a tonne until mid-2021, before easing gradually to around $75 by the end of 2022 as Brazilian supply recovers and Chinese stimulus eases back," the Australian government said in a quarterly outlook.
Spot iron ore surged to $164.50 a tonne on Friday, the highest on record.