Proposal to amend aluminium P1020A MJP spot premium methodology

Fastmarkets is proposing to amend its aluminium P1020A main Japanese ports (MJP) spot price assessment methodology, which is assessed on a cost, insurance and freight (CIF) incoterm basis, to include tenders and deals from the domestic market in Japan and to extend the delivery window.

The aim of the change is to create a more robust price assessment by increasing the pool of liquidity.

The current methodology indicates that pricing data must be under a CIF basis to the main Japanese ports and for the delivery window to be within six weeks for it to be accepted for data analysis in the price assessment process.

Market participants have indicated to Fastmarkets that domestic deals in the Japanese market follow the same trend as international CIF deals and that netbacks can be used to include them on a CIF basis.

Fastmarkets is therefore proposing to take into consideration trucking costs, exchange rates, payment terms and warehouse costs to normalize data from domestic deals and tenders to a CIF basis.

Fastmarkets particularly invites feedback from the market on the approach toward the Japanese Yen to US dollar exchange rate, with market participants having identified it as a potential source of volatility. For example, a monthly average rate could be used or the exchange rate on the day the deal was concluded.

Fastmarkets also invites feedback on an acceptable delivery window for a spot assessment in this consultation with regard to liquidity, after some market participants suggested that an extension to the delivery window could help capture more liquidity.

The consultation will run for four weeks from Tuesday February 21 and will end on Tuesday March 21. The amendment will then take place, subject to market feedback, on Friday March 24.

To provide feedback or if you would like to provide price information by becoming a data submitter to this price assessment, please contact Chay Chye Leng or Alice Mason by email at pricing@fastmarkets.com. Please add the subject heading “re: Aluminium MJP spot methodology.”

To see all Fastmarkets’ pricing methodology and specification documents, go to https://www.fastmarkets.com/about-us/methodology.

What to read next
Fastmarkets held an open consultation for the market to provide feedback and comments on its US-assessed palm and lauric oil prices. With no feedback having been received during the consultation, Fastmarkets will discontinue the following prices with effect from May 25: The above prices will be merged with the following prices: Under this change, Fastmarkets will […]
Fastmarkets invited feedback from the industry on the pricing methodology for its Middle East PIX Packaging GCC indices via an open consultation process between April 17 and May 20 2026.
The amendment follows the decision made on May 14, after a consultation period for the proposed changes, which took place between April 2 and May 11. The purpose of the change is to align the publication times to the activity in the relevant markets and ensure that subscribers receive timely and accurate pricing information. The affected […]
The amendment follows the decision made on May 14, after a consultation period for the proposed changes which took place between April 3 and May 11. The changes were first proposed in a pricing note published on April 3.  The purpose of the changes is to align the publication times to the activity in the […]
The price will be published weekly on Friday 5-6pm Shanghai time, instead of 7pm Shanghai time previously. The amendment aims to better reflect the prices of technology and energy metals (TEM) in the Chinese market and ensure that subscribers receive timely and accurate pricing information. The amendment was first announced in a pricing notice published […]
Fastmarkets has launched three weekly wheat freight rate assessments — Ukraine-Egypt, CVB-Egypt and Russia-Saudi Arabia — and has clarified that its existing Black Sea-North Africa freight assessment refers to the Russia-Egypt route and its Black Sea-Persian Gulf assessment refers to the Russia-Iran route. The Russia-Egypt assessment will also transition from Supramax to Handy-sized vessels. All changes are effective Wednesday May 20, 2026.