Chinese steel mills would prefer to import more iron ore from Brazil rather than Australia after the detention of four Shanghai-based employees of multinational miner Rio Tinto on charges of commercial espionage, according to data specialist ASXMarine.
Spot iron ore vessel bookings from Brazil to China surged to a record 39 in July, from 24 in the previous month, Reuters quoted the data from ASXMarine.
Vessel bookings from Australia's main iron ore ports to China dropped to 31, down from 40 compared to the previous month and the lowest reading since February after the Rio Tinto scandal.
Chinese steelmakers have begun to hold their imports from Australian miners and are switching to Brazilian ore instead, domestic ports have witnessed.
Zang Dongsheng, deputy general manger of Rizhao Port Group, China's largest iron ore port which accounts for a fifth of the country's iron ore deliveries, said some of his customers have reduced their orders from Australia and turned to Brazil. But the exact figures would be available only in September as shipments from Brazil and Australia would be delayed by one or two months.
China's main ports received 56.5 million tons of iron ore in July, up 35 percent from the same period last year, the Ministry of Transport said yesterday.
