Netscher says the Karara project is able to charge about 20 per cent higher prices for its iron ore than the spot price out of the north-east Chinese port city of Tianjin. The Tianjin spot price yesterday was $US110.90 a tonne, unchanged from Friday. Shipping costs erode the price Karara can get for its iron ore by 5 per cent, says Netscher. Karara’s production costs per tonne are between $US72 to $US76 a tonne.