In its price setting tender, the traders had bid for similar rates for the fines as they did during May-July period. OMC has plans to sell about 800,000 tonne fines in the three-month period ending October.
The rate for Gandhamardana sector fines having 62 per cent Fe content now rules at Rs 2,060 per tonne, and for 54 to 60 grade fines, the rate is Rs 1,520 per tonne, same as the previous period. OMC has earmarked to sell about 450,000 tonne fines from this area.
More From This Section
"Gandhamardana fines has better demand generally as many plants from nearby districts have easy access to this area. But due to poor demand the rates did not rise this time," said a source.
For Daitari regions iron ore fines, the rates have slipped to Rs 1,501 per tonne, lower than Rs 1,681 a tonne earlier. Ore produced from this region is primarily meant for Neelachal Ispat, which produces specialised steel billets.
Iron ore prices in international markets have gone up to as high as $140 a tonne this month for 62 grade ore, up from $114 per tonne in June supported by demand from China, the largest steel producer.
But in India, due to huge supply from both private and state-run miners, iron ore rates are likely to move slower, trade sources said. According traders' estimate, Odisha alone has about 60 million tonne fines stacked as on July end.