PRICING NOTICE: Fastmarkets increases regularity of normalization of manganese ore brands, changes payment terms

Fastmarkets has increased the frequency of the normalization price data for its seaborne manganese ore indices to monthly from quarterly as well as changed the payment terms following a consultation.

Fastmarkets will update the normalization of its manganese ore price data – for manganese ore 37% Mn, fob Port Elizabeth, $/dmtu; manganese ore 37% Mn, cif Tianjin, $/dmtu; and manganese ore 44% Mn, cif Tianjin, $/dmtu – on a monthly rather than a quarterly basis, with changes taking place from December 6, according to this pricing notice.

The normalization coefficients for the manganese ore indices are updated to reflect the constantly changing value-in-use relationship of different products and grades. As well as reflecting the level of data liquidity and volatility in the market, this also balances the requirement to keep the value-in-use calculations reflective of the market while also providing a statistically robust data set for analysis.

Fastmarkets will update its coefficients on a monthly basis rather than quarterly because the correlation between brands has recently been changing at a faster pace.

As well, Fastmarkets will make a minor change to the specifications of its three seaborne manganese ore indices. Fastmarkets will amend the payment terms for these to “Cash or LC on sight” from “Cash or equivalent” currently.

The new specifications will be as follows:

Index: Manganese ore 37% Mn, cif Tianjin, $/dmtu
Unit: US$ per dry metric tonne unit, cif Tianjin, China
Content
Manganese: Base 37%, Range 35-39%
Iron content: Base 5%, Maximum 10%
Silica content: Base 5.5%, Maximum 12%
Phosphorous: Base 0.025%, Maximum 0.16%
Alumina: Base 0.2%, Maximum 2%
Moisture: Base 4%, Maximum 12%
Form: Lump
Delivery: Tianjin (China) – normalized for any Chinese mainland sea port
Granularity: 5.5-75mm
Quantity: Min 5,000 tonnes
Delivery window: Within nine weeks
Payment: Cash or LC on sight
Publication: Friday, 3pm London

Index: Manganese ore 37% Mn, fob Port Elizabeth, $/dmtu
Unit: US$ per dry metric tonne unit, fob Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Content
Manganese Base 37%, Range 35-39%
Iron: Base 5%, Maximum 10%
Silica: Base 5.5%, Maximum 12%
Phosphorous: Base 0.025%, Maximum 0.16%
Alumina: Base 0.2%, Maximum 2%
Moisture: Base 4%, Maximum 12%
Form: Lump
Delivery: Port Elizabeth (South Africa)
Granularity: 5.5-75mm
Quantity: 5,000 tonnes
Delivery window: Within nine weeks
Payment: Cash or LC on sight
Publication: Friday, 3pm London

Index: Manganese ore 44% Mn, cif Tianjin, $/dmtu
Unit: US$ per dry metric tonne unit, cif Tianjin, China
Content
Manganese: Base 44%, Range 42-48%
Iron: Base 5%, Maximum 16%
Silica: Base 11%, Maximum 12%
Phosphorous: Base 0.10%, Maximum 0.16%
Alumina: Base 5%, Maximum 14%
Moisture: Base 4%, Maximum 12%
Form: Lump
Delivery: Tianjin (China) – normalized for any Chinese mainland sea port
Granularity: 5.5-75mm
Quantity: Min 5,000 tonnes
Delivery window: Within nine weeks
Payment: Cash or LC on sight
Publication: Friday, 3pm London

The amendment to the payment terms for these indices will better reflect how the manganese market operates, Fastmarkets believes.

The consultation period for these proposed amendments was extended by a week to December 4 from November 27.

To provide feedback on these indices or if you would like to provide price information by becoming a data submitter to these indices, please contact Jon Stibbs by email at pricing@fastmarkets.com. Please add the subject heading ‘FAO: Jon Stibbs, re: Manganese ore.’

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

What to read next
The publication of Fastmarkets’ assessments for nickel 4x4 cathode, nickel briquette and nickel uncut cathode premiums in-whs Rotterdam was delayed on Tuesday July 16 because of a reporter error.
Fastmarkets has corrected its alumina index inferred prices, which were published incorrectly on Tuesday July 15.
After an initial one-and-a-half-month consultation, followed by a further three-month consultation period on the proposed inclusion of a powder brand, and following market feedback and data analysis, Fastmarkets has determined that current market circumstances do not make the proposed amendment to the cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam, daily price assessment viable. This decision is not a judgement on the […]
Fastmarkets launched two new price assessments for Indonesia’s domestic trade in nickel ore on Tuesday July 15. The two price assessments are for domestic trades of Indonesian laterite ores with 1.6% and 1.2% nickel content. Indonesia now accounts for 60% of the global nickel supplies and while there is an official government reference price, known […]
Nickel pig iron (NPI) is a key feedstock material used for stainless steel production, and the CIF has grown to become one of the mainstream trading methods for the Chinese market. The proposed price assessment will allow Fastmarkets to bring more transparency to the Chinese NPI market. Fastmarkets has been tracking spot and DDP China […]
The proposal follows preliminary discussions with the market and internal analysis of price usage, which suggests low market liquidity and a lack of demand. Specifically, Fastmarkets is proposing to discontinue: MB-CU-0410 Copper rod premium, ddp Midwest US, US cents/lbQuality: Purity of 99.95-99.99%. Thicknesses of 8 millimeters or 0.3125 inchesQuantity: Min 25,000 poundsLocation: Delivered US MidwestUnit: US […]