Offers for imported iron ore in China were unchanged, with Australian Pilbara fines quoted at $139 to $141 a tonne, cost and freight, and Newman fines at $141 to $143, Chinese consultancy Umetal said. Australian Yandi fines were also steady at $121 to $123 a tonne and Indian 63.5/63-grade ore remained at $149 to $151,said Umetal. Top iron ore miner Vale said its damaged mega vessel was towed on Tuesday from its berth in Brazil for repairs, allowing it to resume shipments. Traders have said the shipping incident would only have affected spot iron ore supply if the problem was not resolved soon. Iron ore with 62 percent iron content eased 0.1 percent to $139.60 a tonne on Tuesday, cost and freight delivered to China, according to Steel Index. "Mills and traders remain divided about market direction beyond the end of this week, with steel demand continuing to be the limiting factor," Steel Index said in a note. The most-active May rebar contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange edged up 0.2 percent to 4,169 yuan a tonne by the midday break. "Without support from steel prices, there's very little chance of iron ore prices rising," said a Shanghai-based physical iron ore trader. China's demand for imported iron ore usually picks up during winter when domestic mine production slows and mills turn to seaborne material. But with domestic steel prices in the world's biggest consumer and producer largely subdued, there is no urgency for mills to boost iron ore stockpiles. There are still market players, however, positioning for another upturn, said the Shanghai trader, who said he sold 50,000 tonnes of 53/52-percent grade Indian iron ore lumps to a Chinese trader at $99 a tonne, at least $2 more than market rates. "Indian low-grade material is still very much in demand," he said.