主题：刚看到澳洲消息，中国接受了铁矿石33%的降幅，真的吗？ -- 威尔森

7th July 2009

RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazilian miner Vale said on Tuesday that China must choose between continuing to buy ore at an annually-revised benchmark price or switching to spot market purchases.

If China, the world's largest iron ore importer, opts to buy from Vale through the benchmark system, it must accept the iron ore price the company has already set with other Asian steel mills, said Vale CEO Roger Agnelli.

"The benchmark is given. It is established," said Agnelli at a news event. "The client chooses what he wants. The Chinese need to choose what they want."

Seeking a deeper 40 percent cut in annual term prices, Chinese steel mills rejected in May the 33 percent cut in iron ore benchmark prices that Asian steel mills and Australia's Rio Tinto agreed upon.

Traditionally, the price agreed upon by the first major miner and steel mill in annual negotiations becomes the benchmark for the rest of the industry.