Open consultation on IOSCO-audited steelmaking raw materials indices: pricing notice

Fastmarkets is inviting feedback from the industry on the methodology for its audited steelmaking raw materials indices, as part of its announced annual methodology review process.

The consultation, which is open until Friday March 27, seeks to ensure that our audited methodologies and price specifications continue to reflect the physical markets for steelmaking raw materials, in compliance with the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) principles for Price Reporting Agencies (PRAs). This includes all elements of our pricing process, our price specifications and publication frequency.

The prices subject to this annual review are as follows:

MB-IRO-0191 Iron ore 61% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao, $/dmt

MB-IRO-0008 Iron ore 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao, $/dmt

MB-IRO-0144 Iron ore 62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao, $/dmt

MB-IRO-0009 Iron ore 65% Fe Brazil-origin fines, cfr Qingdao, $/dmt

MB-IRO-0193 Iron ore 62% Australia-origin lump ore premium, cfr Qingdao, US cents/dmtu

MB-IRO-0187 Iron ore 67.5% Fe pellet feed premium, cfr Qingdao, $/dmt

MB-IRO-0188 Iron ore 67.5% Fe pellet feed, cfr Qingdao, $/dmt

MB-IRO-0015 Iron ore 58% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao, $/tonne

MB-IRO-0016 Iron ore 58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao, $/dmt

MB-IRO-0017 Iron ore 58% Fe fines high-grade premium index, cfr Qingdao, $/dmt

MB-COA-0003 Premium hard coking coal, fob eastern Australia, $/wmt

Please note that MB-IRO-0017 is a composite of MB-IRO-0015 and MB-IRO-0016.

To provide feedback on the annual review of the above-listed prices, please contact pricing@fastmarkets.com and steelrawmaterials@fastmarkets.com. Please add the subject heading “FAO: Norman Fong/Bella Cheng, re: audited steelmaking raw materials IOSCO methodologies.”

Fastmarkets will publish the outcome of this annual review by April 3, including a summary of the feedback – with the exception of those responses marked as confidential. Any proposals to make material changes, discontinue or launch prices will involve a separate market consultation, the length of which will depend on how substantial the change is.

To see all Fastmarkets’ pricing methodology and specification documents, go to the Fastmarkets methodology page.

(Please note, Fastmarkets has added MB-IRO-0015, MB-IRO-0016, MB-IRO-0017 for review and feedback. You can find our previous consultation notice here: https://dashboard.fastmarkets.com/a/5248126/.)

What to read next
The contrasting approaches to AI adoption in Asia’s energy tube and pipe industry are most visible when comparing China’s scale-driven transformation with Japan’s precision-focused strategy.
The publication of these prices was delayed for 54 minutes. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated. The following prices were affected: • MB-FEO-0004 molybdenum, MB drummed molybdic oxide Mo, in-whs Busan• MB-FEO-0003 molybdenum, drummed molybdic oxide, 57% Mo min, in-whs Rotterdam• MB-FEO-0001 ferro-molybdenum, 65% Mo min, in-whs Rotterdam. These prices are part of the Fastmarkets ores and alloys […]
The publication of several of Fastmarkets' copper concentrates indices was delayed on Friday February 27 because of a technical error. Fastmarkets' pricing database has been updated.
Fastmarkets has corrected its MB-FEV-0001 Ferro-vanadium basis 78% V min, 1st grade, ddp Western Europe, $/kg V price, which was published incorrectly on February 27, 2026, due to a reporter error.
This is to better reflect market activity and liquidity, which is closely linked to liquidity quotes in the palm and laurics markets. The new specifications are as follows, with amendments in italics: AG-PLM-0035 Crude palm oil mill effluent, fob MalaysiaQuality: Free fatty acids (FFA) min. 30%, moisture, impurities and unsaponifiable matter (MIU) max. 3%, total fatty […]
Fastmarkets has corrected the date of its Polish Containerboard prices, which was published incorrectly on Thursday February 26 2026.