Proposal to amend Fastmarkets’ germanium metal specifications

Fastmarkets proposes to amend the specifications of its two germanium metal price assessments by clarifying the price names and specified quality of the material.

The proposal is intended to standardize specified metal purity of the two assessments, in line with Minor Metal Trade Association guidance, at Ge 99.999% and, in line with our methodology, to remedy inconsistencies between the purities identified in the price name and the specified quality of the material.

Fastmarkets’ germanium 99.99% Ge, in-whs Rotterdam, $/kg price assessment will be renamed “germanium 99.999% Ge, in-whs Rotterdam, $/kg,” with the quality corrected to “Ingot. Ge 99.999%, no other elements specified,” from “Ingot. Ga 99.999%, no other elements specified.”

The specified quality for Fastmarkets’ germanium 99.999% Ge min, in-whs China, yuan/kg price assessment will also be corrected from “Ge 99.99% min” to “Ge 99.999% min.”

Fastmarkets (then Metal Bulletin) changed the name of its germanium metal $/kg Rotterdam price in 2013, to germanium metal MB free market. At that point, the price’s specification referred to 99.999% purity material.

Errors in the title were introduced in a pricing notice in 2019, when 99.99% purity was referred to in the title and Ga 99.999% purity was in the specification.

The changes bring the specifications back in line with the initially published specification when Fastmarkets (then Metal Bulletin), first introduced renminbi-denominated germanium metal pricing in 2011, covering 99.999% purity material.

After making the proposed changes, the specifications will be as follows:

MB-GER-0003 Germanium 99.999% Ge, in-whs Rotterdam, $/kg
Quantity: Min 100 kg (+/- 2%)
Quality: Ingot. Ge 99.999%, no other elements specified
Location: In-whs Rotterdam
Timing: Prompt release
Unit: USD/kg
Payment: Cash, other payment terms normalized
Publication: Twice-weekly. Wednesday and Friday between 2pm and 3pm London time
Notes: Packed in plastic sleeves, original producer cases

MB-GER-0004 Germanium 99.999% Ge min, in-whs China, yuan/kg
Quality: Ingots with no specific dimension or weight. Ge 99.999% min, 50ohm/cm; no other elements specified
Quantity: Min 50 kg
Location: In-whs China
Unit: CNY/kg
Payment terms: Cash, other payment terms normalized
Publication: Weekly. Wednesday by 3pm London time

The consultation period for these proposed amendments starts on July 5 and will end on August 2. The amendments will take place, subject to market feedback, on August 3.

To provide feedback on this consultation or if you would like to provide price information by becoming a data submitter to these prices, please contact Solomon Cefai and Sayaka Kurata by email at: pricing@fastmarkets.com. Please add the subject heading “FAO: Solomon Cefai and Sayaka Kurata re: germanium metal.”

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

What to read next
The decision follows a market consulation which took place from Tuesday June 23 and Monday July 20. No feedback was received. The assessments were first proposed in a pricing note published on June 23. The assessments, which will reflect prices of soybeans loaded from ports in the US Pacific Northwest into China, are aimed at […]
The publication of Fastmarkets’ manganese ore semi-carbonate index, 36.5% Mn, cif Tianjin; manganese ore semi carbonate index, 36.5% Mn, fob Port Elizabeth; and manganese ore high grade index, cif Tianjin, was delayed on Friday July 17 due to a delay in data processing.
The prices were published at 16:00 London time on July 16, although the next publication should not have been until 16:00 London time on July 17. The following prices were published incorrectly and have been removed: MB-AL-0404 Aluminium scrap, clean production extrusions (6063), differential to LME, delivered consumer Europe, € per tonne MB-AL-0405 Aluminium scrap, post-consumer 95/5 […]
Fastmarkets has decided to launch a CIF Rotterdam aluminium billet premium calculated assessment.
Fastmarkets is proposing to change the frequency of its aluminium 6063 extrusion billet premium, ddp Spain assessment to weekly from the current bi-weekly frequency, effective August 21, 2026.
Fastmarkets proposes a methodology update to its AG-PLM-0007 palm stearin, RBD, fob US Gulf price assessment, effective Wednesday August 19.