Open consultation on annual methodology review for IOSCO-audited non-ferrous price assessments, indices

The consultation, which is open until November 12, 2025, seeks to ensure that our audited methodologies and price specifications continue to reflect the physical markets under indexation for alumina, aluminium, cobalt, copper, lithium, spodumene, nickel sulfate and graphite, 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.

All our methodologies can be found via this link.

The prices subject to this annual review are as follows:

Alumina
MB-ALU-0002 Alumina index, fob Australia, $ per tonne

MB-ALU-0003 Alumina index adjustment to fob Australia index, Brazil, $ per dmt

Aluminium
MB-AL-0343 Aluminium P1020A (MJP) spot premium, cif Japan, $ per tonne

MB-AL-0004 Aluminium P1020A premium, in-whs dp Rotterdam, $ per tonne

MB-AL-0346 Aluminium P1020A premium, in-whs dup Rotterdam, $ per tonne

MB-AL-0316 Aluminium P1020A premium, fca dp Italy, $ per tonne

MB-AL-0020 Aluminium P1020A premium, ddp Midwest US, US cents per lb

Aluminium billet
MB-AL-0302 Aluminium 6063 extrusion billet premium, ddp North Germany (Ruhr region), $ per tonne

MB-AL-0300 Aluminium 6063 extrusion billet premium, ddp Italy (Brescia region), $ per tonne

Secondary aluminium
MB-AL-0005 Aluminium pressure diecasting ingot DIN226/A380, delivered Europe, € per tonne

MB-AL-0040 Aluminum alloy A380.1, delivered Midwest, US cents per lb

Copper
MB-CU-0403 Copper grade A cathode premium, cif Shanghai, $ per tonne

Copper concentrates
MB-CU-0287 Copper concentrates TC index, cif Asia Pacific, $ per tonne

MB-CU-0288 Copper concentrates RC index, cif Asia Pacific, US cents/lb

Nickel sulfate
MB-NI-0244 Nickel sulfate min 21%, max 22.5%; cobalt 10ppm max, exw China, yuan per tonne

Cobalt
MB-CO-0004 Cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $ per lb

MB-CO-0021 Cobalt hydroxide payable indicator, min 30% Co, cif China, % payable of Fastmarkets’ standard-grade cobalt price (low-end)

MB-CO-0020 Cobalt hydroxide 30% Co min, cif China, $ per lb

MB-CO-0023 Cobalt hydroxide, min 30% Co, inferred, China, $ per lb

MB-CO-0005 Cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $ per lb

MB-CO-0017 Cobalt sulfate 20.5% Co basis, exw China, yuan per tonne

Lithium
MB-LI-0029 Lithium carbonate 99.5% Li2CO3 min, battery grade, spot prices, cif China, Japan & Korea, $ per kg

MB-LI-0036 Lithium carbonate 99.5% Li2CO3 min, battery grade, spot price range, exw domestic China, yuan per tonne

MB-LI-0033 Lithium hydroxide monohydrate LiOH.H2O 56.5% LiOH min, battery grade, spot price, cif China, Japan & Korea, $ per kg

MB-LI-0040 Lithium hydroxide monohydrate LiOH.H2O 56.5% LiOH min, battery grade, spot price range, exw domestic China, yuan per tonne

MB-LI-0012 Spodumene min 6% Li2O, spot price, cif China, $ per tonne

MB-LI-0019 Lithium carbonate 99% Li2CO3 min, technical and industrial grades, spot price, ddp Europe, $ per kg

MB-LI-0021 Lithium hydroxide monohydrate LiOH.H2O, 56.5% LiOH min, technical and industrial grades, spot price, ddp Europe, $ per kg

MB-LI-0023 Lithium carbonate 99.5% Li2CO3 min, battery grade, spot price ddp Europe, $ per kg

MB-LI-0025 Lithium hydroxide monohydrate LiOH.H2O, 56.5% LiOH min, battery grade, spot price, ddp Europe, $ per kg

MB-LI-0044 Lithium carbonate 99.5% Li2CO3 min, battery grade, spot price ddp US and Canada, $/kg

MB-LI-0046 Lithium carbonate 99% Li2CO3 min, technical and industrial grades, spot price ddp US and Canada, $/kg

MB-LI-0047 Lithium hydroxide monohydrate LiOH.H2O, 56.5% LiOH min, technical and industrial grades, spot price ddp US and Canada, $/kg

MB-LI-0045 Lithium hydroxide monohydrate LiOH.H2O, 56.5% LiOH min, battery grade, spot price ddp US and Canada, $/kg

Graphite
MB-GRA-0042 Graphite flake 94% C, -100 mesh, fob China, $ per tonne

MB-GRA-0036 Graphite spherical 99.95% C, 15 microns, fob China, $ per tonne

Please send responses in writing, preferably in electronic format, to the following address: pricing@fastmarkets.com. Please add the subject heading “Audited non-ferrous IOSCO methodologies annual review, 2025.” 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 annual review by November 14, 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 the Fastmarkets methodology page.