The benchmark iron ore price has been worth about $US123 a tonne in recent days and Mr Roberts said falls in the Australian dollar meant local exporters were effectively getting prices closer to $US135 a tonne.
''That's a good price,'' he said, rejecting the bearish forecasts for iron ore that have become common in recent months. ''We are continuing to see very strong steel demand and that will continue to flow through into iron ore.''
