THE wool market faltered last week with the AWEX Eastern Market Indicator falling 17 cents to 883c/kg clean.
It was the fourth successive weekly fall.
However, Dr Peter Morgan of the Australian Wool Industries Secretariat said there were promising signs towards the close of trading on Thursday, particularly in Fremantle where prices rose 8c for the day.
"Whenever the market closes strong in Fremantle after a fall, you can generally count on a strong market the following week," Dr Morgan said.
The falls were across all microns with the middle to broader Merino types the most affected categories.
Elders Melbourne showfloor manager Mal Nichols said prices tended to be checked by the high pass-in rates with 26.1 per cent in Melbourne and 29.5 per cent Fremantle.
Mr Nichols said last week's market saw strong Chinese preference for the higher yielding wools, free or nearly free of vegetable matter, while the burry or seedy pastoral clips, particularly from South Australia, struggled.
Most of last week's slump was blamed on the strength of the Australian dollar. In US dollars the EMI actually rose 1c to US825c/kg clean.
Elders Wool international head John Roberts said Chinese processors were still having difficulty moving stocks of top or yarn which was also a factor in the greasy wool market.
However, producers and stud breeders attending last week's Balmoral sire-evaluation field day at Cavendish were less fussed about the market, preferring to concentrate on the total sheep returns.
