Amendment to frequency of two copper concentrates index coefficients

After a consultation period, Fastmarkets is increasing the publication frequency of two copper concentrates index coefficients — MB-CU-0422 copper concentrates counterparty spread and MB-CU-0423 copper concentrates Co-VIU — from monthly to fortnightly.

The change in frequency will take place from January 24, 2025, following the initial consultation, which started on December 20, 2024.

The change comes amid extreme copper concentrates market conditions, with more frequent and volatile changes in the two copper coefficients.

Fastmarkets has been publishing the coefficients since April 2019 and both derive from Fastmarkets’ copper concentrates TC/RC index, cif Asia Pacific, which reflects the midpoint between smelter and trader buying levels.

The proposed index coefficient specifications are as follows (changes in italics):

MB-CU-0422 – Copper concentrates counterparty spread, $/tonne
Quality:
 Cu (%) base 26, max 37, min 18; Au (g/dmt) base 1.1, max30; Ag (g/dmt) base 75, max 350; S (%) Base 32, max 38, min 20; Fe (%) base 28, max 35, min 15; Pb (%) base 0.07, max 4; Zn (%) base 1, max 4; As (%) base 0.17 max 2; Sb (%) base 0.018, max 0.2; Hg (ppm) base 2.5, max 10; Bi (ppm) base 145, max 2,000
Quantity: Minimum 5,000 dry metric tonnes
Location: CIF Asia Pacific
Unit: USD/tonne
Publication:Fortnightly, Friday before 4pm UK time.
Notes: The counterparty spread price will measure, in $/tonne, the net gap between the average smelters purchases price and the traders purchase price for copper concentrate TCs.

MB-CU-0423 – Copper concentrates copper VIU, $/tonne
Quality: 
Cu (%) base 26, max 37, min 18; Au (g/dmt) base 1.1, max30; Ag (g/dmt) base 75, max 350; S (%) Base 32, max 38, min 20; Fe (%) base 28, max 35, min 15; Pb (%) base 0.07, max 4; Zn (%) base 1, max 4; As (%) base 0.17 max 2; Sb (%) base 0.018, max 0.2; Hg (ppm) base 2.5, max 10; Bi (ppm) base 145, max 2,000
Quantity: Minimum 5,000 dry metric tonnes
Location: CIF Asia Pacific
Unit: USD/tonne
Publication:Fortnightly, Friday before 4pm UK time.
Notes: The copper VIU price measures the value-in-use in $/tonne of one extra percentage point of copper in a parcel of concentrates.

These prices are part of the Fastmarkets base metals package.

To provide feedback on these prices or if you would like to provide price information by becoming a data submitter to these prices, please contact Sally Zhang and/or Albert MacKenzie by email at: pricing@fastmarkets.com. Please add the subject heading “FAO: Sally Zhang/Albert MacKenzie, re: the frequency of two copper concentrates index coefficients.”

Please indicate if comments are confidential. Fastmarkets will consider all comments received and will make comments not marked as confidential available upon request.

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

What to read next
Explore the impact of the trade war on the Chinese paper market with insights into April's data and economic signals.
The following prices were affected:MB-STE-0444 Steel hot-rolled coil import, cfr main port India, $/tonneMB-STE-0445 Steel hot-rolled coil (CR grade) import, cfr main port India, $/tonneMB-STE-0442 Steel hot-rolled coil (commodity) export, fob main port India, $/tonneMB-STE-0436 Steel hot-rolled coil domestic, ex-whse India, rupees/tonne MB-STE-0435 Steel cold-rolled coil domestic, ex-whse India, rupees/tonneMB-STE-0443 Steel cold-rolled coil import, cfr main port India, $/tonneMB-STE-0434 Steel hot-dipped galvanized coil […]
Soybean futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange held broadly steady in the front end of the curve on Thursday May 29, while contracts for farther delivery months faced some downward pressure.
Fastmarkets published its assessment of the MB-STE-0232 steel scrap No1 busheling, consumer buying price, delivered mill Chicago, $/gross ton on Thursday June 5, 2025.
The Chinese steel market is expected to remain reliant on export-led growth for the rest of 2025, amid poor domestic consumption and a lack of investor confidence in the property sector, delegates were told at the Singapore International Iron Ore Forum on Wednesday May 28.
This consultation was done as part of our annual methodology review process. No feedback was received during the consultation period and therefore no changes will be made to the methodologies at this stage. This consultation sought to ensure that our methodologies continue to reflect the physical market under indexation, in compliance with the International Organization […]