India: Sponge iron prices edge up on improved buying – 21 Mar

  • Sponge iron prices rise INR 50-300/t
  • Bulk bookings seen in Raipur, Raigarh markets

Sponge iron prices in India moved up by INR 50-300/tonne (t) d-o-d in major markets today on improved buying from participants.

PDRI prices closed at a range of INR 25,350-26,400/t and CDRI at INR 26,550-31,100/t.

South African RB2 prices remained stable today. Non-coking RB2 (5500 NAR) coal prices stand at INR 9,400/t ($113/t) ex-Gangavaram.

This upward movement in prices reflects supportive buying, as buyers have been active in booking material in response to rising offers.

Consequently, there was a surge in trading volumes today compared with yesterday, with the Raipur and Raigarh markets in central India reporting bulk bookings.

About 25,850 t of sponge iron transactions were recorded in the country on Thursday compared to 14,440 t on 20 March.

Rationale –

Prices have been derived based on transactions, offers, bids and indicative price data sets. Transactions are considered as T1 and given a weightage of 50% whereas other data sets are considered as T2 and given a weightage of the balance 50%.

Click for detailed methodology

T1 – Trade, T2 – Offer/Bid/Indicative