Open consultation on Fastmarkets’ non-ferrous materials, industrial minerals methodologies

Fastmarkets is inviting feedback from the industry on its pricing methodology and product specifications for non-ferrous materials and industrial minerals, as part of its announced annual methodology review process.

This consultation, which is open until Wednesday November 6, 2024, seeks to ensure that our methodologies continue to reflect the physical markets in base metals, minor metals, ores & alloys, rare earths and industrial minerals, in compliance with the International Organization of Securities Commission (IOSCO) principles for price reporting agencies (PRAs). This includes all elements of our pricing process, our price specifications and publication frequency.

View the Non-ferrous Metals methodology here: fm-mb-non-ferrous-methodology-specifications.pdf

View the Rare Earths methodology here: fm-mb-rare-earths.pdf

View the Chrome Ore Index methodology here: – fm-mb-chrome-ore-index.pdf

View the Industrial Minerals methodology here: fm-im-industrial-minerals.pdf

The following prices are also currently subject to separate live consultations: 

MB-LI-0038 lithium hydroxide monohydrate LiOH.H2O 56.5% LiOH min, technical and industrial grade, spot price range exw domestic China, yuan/tonne

MB-AL-0052 aluminum 6063 extrusion billet premium, delivered Midwest US, US cents/lb

Please send responses in writing, preferably in electronic format, to the following address: pricing@fastmarkets.com. Please add the subject heading “FAO: Janie Davies/Jon Stibbs re: Non-ferrous and industrial minerals methodologies.” Please specify whether your response is confidential. Opinions offered in confidential responses may be referenced but will not be attributed in any way.

Fastmarkets will publish the outcome of this methodology review by November 11, 2024, 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: https://www.fastmarkets.com/methodology/metals

What to read next
Fastmarkets has corrected the rationale for its MB-MNO-0002 manganese ore semi carbonate index, 36.5% Mn, fob Port Elizabeth, which was published incorrectly on Friday June 5 due to incorrect source data.
Fastmarkets invited feedback from the industry on the pricing methodology for PIX Packaging Europe indices via an open consultation process between May 7 and June 8, 2026. This consultation was done as part of our published annual methodology review process.
The MB-MNO-0003 Manganese ore semi carbonate index, 36.5% Mn, cif Tianjin, $ per dmtu was published in error as $4.75 per dry metric tonne unit. It has been corrected to $4.74 per dmtu. The rationale for the same index on the same date was also updated to reflect this change. It erroneously stated that “Fastmarkets’ manganese ore semi-carbonate […]
The publication of Fastmarkets’ price assessments for MB-FEO-0004 molybdenum, MB drummed molybdic oxide Mo, in-whs Busan; for MB-FEO-0003 molybdenum, drummed molybdic oxide, 57% Mo min, in-whs Rotterdam; and for MB-FEO-0001 ferro-molybdenum, 65% Mo min, in-whs Rotterdam, was delayed on Monday June 8 owing to slow data processing.
Fastmarkets has corrected the rationale for its MB-NI-0247 Nickel sulfate premium, cif Japan and Korea, which was published incorrectly on Friday June 5 due to a reporter error.
The eight assessments will cover the United States for tissue jumbo/parent rolls made from wood pulp and recycled pulp for both retail and away-from-home markets. The new prices will replace the price estimates currently published in Fastmarkets’ US Tissue Monthly Data report and will be a part of the Fastmarkets tissue package. The new prices will […]