Open consultation on IOSCO-audited non-ferrous price assessments, indices

The consultation, which is open until November 3, 2023, seeks to ensure that our audited methodologies and price specifications continue to reflect the physical markets for alumina, aluminium, cobalt, copper, lithium, spodumene, graphite and manganese ore, 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 here: https://www.fastmarkets.com/methodology/metals

The prices subject to this annual review are as follows:

Alumina
MB-ALU-0003 Alumina index adjustment to fob Australia index, Brazil, $/dmt
MB-ALU-0002 Alumina index, fob Australia, $/tonne

Aluminium
MB-AL-0343 Aluminium P1020A (MJP) spot premium, cif Japan, $/tonne
MB-AL-0004 Aluminium P1020A premium, in-whs dp Rotterdam, $/tonne
MB-AL-0346 Aluminium P1020A premium, in-whs dup Rotterdam, $/tonne
MB-AL-0316 Aluminium P1020A premium, fca dp Italy, $/tonne
MB-AL-0020 Aluminium P1020A premium, ddp Midwest US, US cents/lb

Aluminium billet
MB-AL-0302 Aluminium 6063 extrusion billet premium, ddp North Germany (Ruhr region), $/tonne
MB-AL-0300 Aluminium 6063 extrusion billet premium, ddp Italy (Brescia region), $/tonne

Secondary aluminium
MB-AL-0005 Aluminium pressure diecasting ingot DIN226/A380, delivered Europe, €/tonne
MB-AL-0040 Aluminum alloy A380.1, delivered Midwest, US cents/lb

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

Copper concentrates
MB-CU-0287 Copper concentrates TC index, cif Asia Pacific, $/tonne
MB-CU-0288 Copper concentrates RC index, cif Asia Pacific, US cents/Ib

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

Cobalt
MB-CO-0004 Cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/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, $/lb
MB-CO-0023 Cobalt hydroxide, min 30% Co, inferred, China, $/Ib
MB-CO-0005 Cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lb
MB-CO-0017 Cobalt sulfate 20.5% Co basis, exw China, yuan/tonne

Manganese ore
MB-MNO-0001 Manganese ore index, 44% Mn, cif Tianjin, $/dmtu
MB-MNO-0003 Manganese ore index, 37% Mn, cif Tianjin, $/dmtu
MB-MNO-0002 Manganese ore index, 37% Mn, fob Port Elizabeth, $/dmtu

Fastmarkets has started informally discussing a potential consultation on the chemical specifications of low-grade manganese ore with market participants. Fastmarkets will publish a notice with more detail about this at a later date. In the meantime, Fastmarkets welcomes any initial feedback on manganese ore specifications during this regular annual review of its IOSCO prices.

Lithium
MB-LI-0029 Lithium carbonate 99.5% Li2CO3 min, battery grade, spot prices cif China, Japan & Korea, $/kg
MB-LI-0036 Lithium carbonate 99.5% Li2CO3 min, battery grade, spot price range exw domestic China, yuan/tonne
MB-LI-0033 Lithium hydroxide monohydrate LiOH.H2O 56.5% LiOH min, battery grade, spot price cif China, Japan & Korea, $/kg
MB-LI-0040 Lithium hydroxide monohydrate LiOH.H2O 56.5% LiOH min, battery grade, spot price range exw domestic China, yuan/tonne
MB-LI-0012 Spodumene min 6% Li2O, spot price, cif China, $/tonne

Graphite
MB-GRA-0042 Graphite flake 94% C, -100 mesh, fob China, $/tonne
MB-GRA-0036 Graphite spherical 99.95% C, 15 microns, fob China, $/tonne

To provide feedback on the annual review of the above-listed prices, please contact pricing@fastmarkets.com. Please add the subject heading ‘FAO: Juliet Walsh, Fleur Ritzema, re: audited non-ferrous IOSCO methodologies.’

Please specify if 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 8, 2023, 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 for the industry.

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