Proposal to amend frequency of US aluminium billet premium

Fastmarkets proposes to amend the frequency of MB-AL-0052 aluminium 6063 extrusion billet premium, delivered Midwest US, US cents/lb.

Fastmarkets proposes to assess and publish the aluminium 6063 extrusion billet premium, delivered Midwest US assessment once a month, on the fourth Friday of each month, from the current fortnightly basis every other Friday.

The proposal follows initial feedback from market participants reporting low liquidity in the US aluminium billet spot market.

The proposed new specifications are listed below, with the proposed amendment of price frequency in italics:

MB-AL-0052 Aluminum 6063 extrusion billet premium, delivered Midwest US, US cents/lb

Quality: Extrusion billet AA6063. Billet with diameter of 6”, 7” and 8”
Quantity: Min 100 tonnes
Location: Delivered into US Midwest region, duty-unpaid premium on top of the P1020A ingot Midwest premium and LME cash prices
Timing: Within 2 months
Unit: US cents/lb
Payment terms: 30-day payment, other payments terms normalized
Publication: Once a month on the fourth Friday of the month, 3-4pm London time

This price is a part of the Fastmarkets base metals package.

The consultation period for this proposed amendment starts from Monday September 16 and will end on Tuesday October 15. The next price assessment will then take place, subject to market feedback, on Friday October 25.

To provide feedback on this price or if you would like to provide price information by becoming a data submitter to this price/index, please contact Yasemin Esmen by email at: pricing@fastmarkets.com. Please add the subject heading “FAO: Yasemin Esmen re: US aluminium billet.”

Please indicate if comments are confidential. Fastmarkets will consider all comments received and will make comments not marked as confidential available upon request.

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

What to read next
The US aluminium industry is experiencing challenges related to tariffs, which have contributed to higher prices and premiums, raising questions about potential impacts on demand. Alcoa's CEO has noted that sustained high prices could affect the domestic market. While trade agreements might provide some relief, analysts expect premiums to remain elevated in the near term. However, aluminum demand is projected to grow over the long term, supported by the energy transition and clean energy projects. To meet this demand, the industry will need to increase production, restart idle smelters and address factors such as electricity costs and global competition.
The following prices were affected: CB-CC-0001 REDD+, Latin America, $ per tCO2e CB-CC-0002 REDD+ v19 differential, Latin America, $ per tCO2e CB-CC-0003 REDD+ v20 differential, Latin America, $ per tCO2e CB-CC-0004 REDD+ v21 differential, Latin America, $ per tCO2e CB-CC-0005 REDD+, Sub-Saharan Africa, $ per tCO2e CB-CC-0006 REDD+ v19 differential, Sub-Saharan Africa, $ per tCO2e […]
The MB-AL-0408 aluminium low-carbon differential P1020A, cif Mexico was published at 3:02pm London time on May 20 instead of the scheduled time of 3-4pm on May 27. The erroneous price has been removed from Fastmarkets’ pricing database. The price will next be published on May 27 at its usual time. This price is a part of the Fastmarkets […]
Fastmarkets invited feedback from the industry on the pricing methodology for its global soybean prices, via an open consultation process between April 15 and May 10, 2025. This consultation was done as part of our annual methodology review process.
Due to the Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day on Monday May 19, these prices will be published instead on May 20, in accordance with Fastmarkets’ policy. This change was not initially noted on Fastmarkets’ 2025 pricing schedule. The pricing schedule has now been updated. The affected prices are:MB-STE-0093 steel scrap, auto bundle scrap, […]
The US trade roller coaster ride seems to be flattening, with signs of potential moderation and stability. It appears increasingly likely that our original expectation that the US Trump administration would primarily use the threat of tariffs as a negotiating strategy will be correct. While we do not expect to the US tariff position return to pre-2025 levels, we believe the overall US tariff burden is more likely to settle at around 10-30% globally rather than the elevated rates of 50-100% that seemed possible in recent weeks.