PRICING NOTICE: Launch of spot 65% Fe iron ore pellet premium index quoted over 65% Fe fines

Fastmarkets will, on Friday May 7, launch a new weekly price index for the premium that high-quality 65% Fe blast furnace grade iron ore pellet commands on a spot basis above the 65% Fe Fines index.

Following a two-month consultation during which favorable feedback was received, Fastmarkets will launch a standalone pellet premium index reflecting the premium that high-quality international pellets achieve over its 65% Fe fines Index on a cfr China spot basis. This will replace its existing implied pellet premium (MB-IRO-0150), which will henceforth be discontinued.

This new launch aims to satisfy demand from market participants to more clearly and transparently track the premium that higher-quality international pellets can achieve on a cfr China spot basis, where they are most commonly traded with a fixed premium negotiated to the Fastmarkets 65% Fe fines Index. China’s growing appetite for higher-quality iron ore, including pellets, is seeing an increase in the frequency of top-tier pellet cargoes being sold on this basis that market participants expect will continue into the future.

The specifications for the new pellet premium index are as follows:

MB-IRO-0177 – Iron ore pellet premium over 65% Fe fines, cfr China
Quality: Fe: base 65%, min 64.5%; Si: base 4.5%, max 6.0%; Al: base 0.4%, max 0.6%; P: base 0.03%, max 0.05%; S: base 0.01%, max 0.02%; Moisture: base 2.0%, max 3.0%; CCS: base 230 daN, min 220 daN; Sizing: <5% <5.0mm
Quantity: min 10,000 tonnes
Location: cfr Qingdao (other main sea ports normalized)
Timing: delivery within eight weeks
Unit: $ per dry metric tonne
Publication: Weekly on Friday, 6.30pm Singapore time

To provide feedback on this launch, or if you would like to provide price information by becoming a data submitter, please contact Peter Hannah by email at pricing@fastmarkets.com. Please add the subject heading ‘FAO: Peter Hannah re: Launch of Pellet Premium Index’

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

What to read next
Fastmarkets has corrected the pricing rationale for MB-AL-0302 aluminium 6063 extrusion billet premium, ddp North Germany (Ruhr region), $/tonne, which was published incorrectly on Friday April 19. No prices were corrected.
Fastmarkets proposes to amend the specifications of five of its steel products assessments and billet index originating from the Black Sea basin.
Fastmarkets launched a suite of CIF India aluminium scrap prices on Wednesday April 17.
Fastmarkets is inviting feedback from the industry on the methodology for its audited non-ferrous price assessments, as part of its announced annual methodology review process.
This consultation, which is open until May 16, 2024, seeks to ensure that our methodologies continue to reflect the physical graphic paper market, in compliance with the International Organization of Securities Commissions’ (IOSCO) Principles for Price Reporting Agencies (PRAs). This includes all elements of our pricing process, our price specifications and publication frequency. Fastmarkets FOEX […]
Fastmarkets launches MB-STE-0914 steel coil 55% Al-Zn coated steel import, South Korean-made, ddp Gulf Ports, and MB-STE-0915 steel coil 55% Al-Zn coated steel import, non-South Korean-made, ddp Gulf Ports on Tuesday April 16.