Iron ore prices in recent years

Excerpts:

[A] Iron Ore - Annual Contract Prices       
                           Note price agreement prices.
                           Contracts generally made in the spring/early summer between iron ore
                           producers and steel manufacturers. 
                           The prices given below are prices arranged at the beginning
                           of May of the given year.
                           (1) FINES :    the most heavily-traded category of iron ore.
                           (2) LUMP ORE : Lumb ore consists of golfball sized pieces, and has higher iron content than fines.
                           (3) PELLETS :  Iron ore in "pellets" are semi-refined iron ore; blast furnace pellets.

           Iron Ore Prices

           Notes:  Brazil to Europe
           Units:  US Dollars per ton (dry metric ton).

                    (1)        (2)         (3)

                   fines    lump ore     pellets
 contract 
     year  _____________________________________________________________
     1976 |        22.70                   43.80 dollars per metric ton or tonne
     1977 |        23.00                   42.80
     1978 |        21.50                   36.40
     1979 |        23.30                   39.90
     1980 |        28.10                   47.00
     1981 |        28.10                   43.00
     1982 |        32.50                   47.50
     1983 |        29.00                   39.00
     1984 |        26.10                   36.00
     1985 |        26.50                   36.00
     1986 |        26.20                   36.60
     1987 |        24.50                   36.70
     1988 |        23.50                   40.30
     1989 |        26.50                   47.30
     1990 |        30.80                   51.60
     1991 |        33.20                   52.10
     1992 |        31.60                   48.40
     1993 |        28.10       33.00       43.60
     1994 |        24.40       30.40       43.60
     1995 |        26.90       33.30       49.10
     1996 |        28.50       35.20       52.40
     1997 |        28.80       35.20       52.10
     1998 |        29.60       36.20       53.50
     1999 |        26.90       32.20       46.40
     2000 |        27.60       33.90       49.20
     2001 |        28.90       35.10       50.10
     2002 |        28.60       34.30       47.30
     2003 |        31.40       37.30       52.00
     2004 |        37.30       44.40       61.80
     2005 |        64.00       79.00      115.50
     2006 |        76.20       94.00      112.00
     2007 |        83.40                          ' Based upon news of 2006 Dec 22 deal between Baosteel and CVRD for one year starting April 1, 2007.
     2008 |       132.20                          '

   Sources : CVRD, Wall Street Journal, US Steel and other steel producers.