negotiations over annual iron ore contact prices have stalled between china and its suppliers in australia and brazil.
中国与澳大利亚和巴西供应商之间的年度铁矿石合约价格谈判已陷入僵局。
unlike most other metals, the price of iron ore is fixed by annual contracts negotiated by each miner and individual importing country.
不像其他大多数金属一样,铁矿石的价格是由每年的各个矿主和单个进口国之间的磋商确定的下来的。
iron ore is a major export to china, with coal and copper following.
铁矿石是面向中国的主要出口产品,其次是煤和铜。
some plants process steel for use in construction and manufacturing, while others turn any iron ore they can get hold of into rudimentary forms of steel bars.
一些钢铁厂生产用于建筑业和制造业的钢材,而其它厂则把它们通过各种方式得到的铁矿石加工成初级的钢条。
in the first three months of 2010, the average iron ore spot price, which will guide quarterly prices from now on, was $131 per tonne.
bhp, rio tinto and brazilian mining company vale are the top three suppliers of iron ore to china.
必和必拓、力拓及巴西淡水河谷矿业公司是中国的三大铁矿石国际供应商。
「current prices are acceptable, and if iron ore rises to $160-$170 a ton, we」ll still be able to buy, ' said a purchasing manager at a major steelmaker in china.
the australian companies believe they have an advantage: their costs of shipping iron ore to china are about one-third those of brazil, their main competitor.