The current methodology reflects cargoes transacted for delivery within two months.
Fastmarkets is proposing to widen the delivery window to three months to be able to capture more liquidity within its premium assessments.
The changes would affect the following premium assessments:
- MB-AL-0300 – Aluminium 6063 extrusion billet premium, ddp Italy (Brescia region), $/tonne
- MB-AL-0302 – Aluminium 6063 extrusion billet premium, ddp North Germany (Ruhr region), $/tonne
- MB-AL-0299 – Aluminium 6063 extrusion billet premium, ddp Spain, $/tonne
- MB-AL-0296 – Aluminium 6063 extrusion billet premium, cif Turkey (Marmara region), $/tonne
It will also affect the Aluminium 6063 extrusion billet premium, in-whs dp Rotterdam (MB-AL-0002), which is a calculation based on the Germany premium.
Fastmarkets invites comment from market participants to determine whether extending the delivery window to three months would more accurately reflect the spot market.
Over the past few months, more liquidity has been captured for further forward months just outside the two-month delivery window, with availability increasingly tight and premiums close to record highs. Widening the delivery window would allow the price assessment to capture business taking place for the next quarter.
The wider delivery window would also bring the aluminium 6063 extrusion billet premiums methodology in line with the low-carbon aluminium value-added product differential, which has a three-month delivery window.
There are no other proposed changes to the specifications of the assessment or changes to Fastmarkets’ billet premiums in regions outside Europe.
The consultation period will run for one month from May 5 and will end on June 5. Subject to feedback, any changes will be implemented from Friday June 11.
To provide feedback on this proposal, or if you would like to provide price information by becoming a data submitter to these assessments, please contact Alice Mason or Justin Yang email at pricing@fastmarkets.com. Please add the subject heading ‘FAO: Alice Mason / Justin Yang, re: Aluminium billet delivery window.’
To see all of Fastmarkets’ pricing methodology and specification documents, go to https://www.fastmarkets.com/about-us/methodology.
