The iron-ore price has surged since January 2016, but metals analysts are divided on the outlook for the rest of this year. However, even if prices drop from the current $92 a ton (about R1150) to $60 a ton or even $50, many producers seem to be in a good position - with less debt and reduced production costs - to weather weaker prices. This week's gains in the iron-ore price followed data from the China Iron and Steel Association that showed an increase in demand for steel. In addition, data from the Statistics Bureau of China showed an 8.9% rise in fixed-asset investment for the first two months of this year, compared with 8.1% for 2016 as a whole. And the Dalian Commodity Exchange cut transaction fees by 90% for near-month iron-ore contracts between May and July to boost transactions. Bulk and base commodities such as copper and nickel also showed a slight increase. The iron-ore price has averaged about $85 a ton this year so far, compared with less than $45 during the first two ...
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