Open consultation on IOSCO-audited steelmaking raw materials indices: pricing notice

Fastmarkets is inviting feedback from the industry on the methodology for its audited steelmaking raw materials indices, as part of its announced annual methodology review process.

The consultation, which is open until Friday March 27, seeks to ensure that our audited methodologies and price specifications continue to reflect the physical markets for steelmaking raw materials, 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.

The prices subject to this annual review are as follows:

MB-IRO-0191 Iron ore 61% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao, $/dmt

MB-IRO-0008 Iron ore 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao, $/dmt

MB-IRO-0144 Iron ore 62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao, $/dmt

MB-IRO-0009 Iron ore 65% Fe Brazil-origin fines, cfr Qingdao, $/dmt

MB-IRO-0193 Iron ore 62% Australia-origin lump ore premium, cfr Qingdao, US cents/dmtu

MB-IRO-0187 Iron ore 67.5% Fe pellet feed premium, cfr Qingdao, $/dmt

MB-IRO-0188 Iron ore 67.5% Fe pellet feed, cfr Qingdao, $/dmt

MB-IRO-0015 Iron ore 58% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao, $/tonne

MB-IRO-0016 Iron ore 58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao, $/dmt

MB-IRO-0017 Iron ore 58% Fe fines high-grade premium index, cfr Qingdao, $/dmt

MB-COA-0003 Premium hard coking coal, fob eastern Australia, $/wmt

Please note that MB-IRO-0017 is a composite of MB-IRO-0015 and MB-IRO-0016.

To provide feedback on the annual review of the above-listed prices, please contact pricing@fastmarkets.com and steelrawmaterials@fastmarkets.com. Please add the subject heading “FAO: Norman Fong/Bella Cheng, re: audited steelmaking raw materials IOSCO methodologies.”

Fastmarkets will publish the outcome of this annual review by April 3, 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.

(Please note, Fastmarkets has added MB-IRO-0015, MB-IRO-0016, MB-IRO-0017 for review and feedback. You can find our previous consultation notice here: https://dashboard.fastmarkets.com/a/5248126/.)

What to read next
Fastmarkets changed the timestamp for its daily used cooking oil flexi-tank, fob China and used cooking oil, bulk, fob China price assessments from 4:30pm London time to 4:30pm Singapore time effective Wednesday May 20, 2026, as a result of an open consultation.
The proposal follows Fastmarkets’ observations that the commodity sees inactive spot liquidity and low volatility in prices. The proposed new specifications for the prices are as follows, with the amendments in italics: MB-NI-0246 Nickel sulfate, cif Japan and Korea, $/tonneQuality: Accepted by buyer for use in battery applications with chemical composition: Ni content, base 22.3% […]
Fastmarkets’ daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US Midwest for Tuesday May 19 was published earlier than scheduled due to an error. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated.
The four assessments will cover continental Europe and the UK, for tissue jumbo rolls made from wood pulp and recycled pulp in a basis weight range of 14.5-18.0g per square meter. The decision follows a one-month consultation period that ended on Saturday May 16. The proposed specifications are as follows: FP-TS-0009 Tissue, wood pulp jumbo rolls for […]
Fastmarkets is clarifying the publishing schedule for two Saudi Arabia steel price assessments following confirmation of the dates of the Eid al-Adha holiday.  The two price assessments affected are as follows: MB-STE-0909 – Steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, delivered Saudi Arabia, riyals/tonne MB-STE-0940 – Steel billet, import, cfr Saudi Arabia, $/tonne The domestic rebar price assessment […]
Alex Kershaw unpacks the recent volatility in global scrap steel markets and what is driving price movements across key regions. From the US and Europe to Turkey and China, the discussion explores how rising energy and freight costs are lifting prices despite weak steel demand.