FastMarkets published its first Aluminium Foundry Alloys Report on November 24, covering premiums for wheel alloy silicon 7. The report will from now on be published on a quarterly basis and comes with an accompanying commentary.

This is the latest addition to FastMarkets’ physical aluminium pricing offering, which already covers ingots on a weekly basis and billets on a monthly basis. Until now the coverage of aluminium foundry alloy premiums had been commentary-based only and published on an ad-hoc basis.

>The November 2015 Aluminium Foundry Alloys Report is available for free to download here and the accompanying commentary can be downloaded here. Future reports and commentaries will require a subscription to FastMarkets Professional.

Links to previous commentaries (accessible to FastMarkets Professional subscribers only) can be found at the bottom on this blog.

What are aluminium foundry alloys?
Aluminium foundry alloys are most commonly used for aluminium castings to create automotive parts such as wheels, chassis components or cylinder heads. The most used alloy group is the AlSi7Mg, which combines aluminium with silicon (around 7 percent) and magnesium (less than 0.5 percent), has low iron content and is favoured by wheel producers. The next most liquid alloy is the silicon 11 blend, which is typically priced slightly higher than silicon 7.

What does the report cover?
The report currently covers nominal spot premium indications for wheel silicon 7 foundry alloys traded in Germany, Eastern Europe, the US Midwest region and Turkey (coverage will grow to include the Asian markets in 2016). It compares prices with previous-quarter values to highlight any change in trend and offers detailed notes on market drivers and recent developments. The report also includes upcharges for silicon 11 alloys and premiums indications for long-term contracts.

The main specifications are ALSI7MGSr for Europe and EN AB42 100 Sr for US (Asia will be A356.2Sr). Standard payment terms are 30 days except in Turkey, which commands cash payment. Premiums are priced on a delivered basis in Europe and the US and on a CIF basis in Turley. Europe is a duty-paid market; the US and Turkey are both duty-unpaid destinations.

What does the commentary cover?
The commentary offers readers an insight into how and why premiums have moved and includes market comments from producers, traders and consumers. It outlines the trend and factors at play as well as remarks on the short-term premium outlook.

How to subscribe to the report?
The Aluminium Foundry Alloys Report is exclusively available to FastMarkets Professional subscribers and requires a FastMarkets Professional subscription to access them.

To subscribe to this report please contact sales@fastmarkets.com or complete our free trial form.

How to become a contributor
If you want to become a contributor to this report please contact physicals@fastmarkets.com or call +44 (0)207 3372 143 and ask to speak to Archie Hunter.

Previous Aluminium Foundry Alloy Commentaries (FastMarkets subscribers only)
August 2015 – Foundry alloy premiums slip below $500 in Europe on ample supply
April 2015 – Foundry alloy premiums slump below $700/t on oversupply
February 2015 – Aluminium foundry alloy premiums drop below $800/t in Europe
May 2014 – Aluminium foundry alloy premiums surge to $800/t mark in Europe

For press enquiries please contact James Bailey – james.bailey@fastmarkets.com or call +44 (0)7786 343 266.