High-low grade divide to widen19 Mar 2021 13:45
Market sources also expect the price spreads between the different grades of iron ore fines to widen as steelmakers become more conscious of quality requirements amid environmental concerns.
Higher grade fines and direct feed materials would most likely see benefit from the curbs, market sources said.
"The curbs would prop up steel margins, driving mills to maximize output under the operational constraints. Mills would want to shift iron ore blending ratios toward higher-grade materials and direct feed such as lump and pellet," a market source said.
"Good steel margins would invalidate a lot of low grade fines," another source said, adding: "That supply would get thrown out of the equation and therefore effective supply becomes tight again."