Proposal to amend the frequency of Fastmarkets’ China import billet price assessment: pricing notice

Fastmarkets proposes to reduce the frequency of its China steel billet import price assessment.

The proposal is to reduce the frequency of the price assessment for steel billet, import, cfr China from weekly to fortnightly.

Imports of steel billet have dropped sharply since April 2022, following three months of active imports, because China’s domestic prices have been lower than international prices.

In January and February 2023 combined, China’s imports of steel billet (Harmonized System (HS) code 72071100) totaled 68,229 tonnes, a decline of 91% from the 729,059 tonnes imported in the first two months of 2022, according to Chinese customs data.

The consultation period for this proposed amendment starts on Wednesday April 5 and will end on Wednesday May 3.

The final weekly assessment take place on April 28, with the proposed amendment then taking place, subject to market feedback, on Thursday May 4. The first assessment under the new frequency will be published on Friday May 12 and every two weeks thereafter.

To provide feedback on this assessment, or if you would like to provide price information by becoming a data submitter to this price, please email pricing@fastmarkets.com. Please add the subject heading “FAO: Jessica Zong, re: China billet import price assessment.”

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

What to read next
The fixed-price equivalent in the trade log in these indices’ rationale was missed. The trade log entry has been corrected as follows: Vale, COREX, 170,000 tonnes of 62% Fe Brazilian Blend fines, traded at the July average of Fastmarkets’ 62% Fe low-alumina fines plus a premium of $0.40 per tonne, laycan July 17-26 (fixed-price equivalent […]
The top end of the assessment for MB-BI-0002 Bismuth 99.99% Bi min, in-whs China, yuan/tonne was incorrectly published due to a typographical error. It was initially published as 130,000-1,330,000 yuan per tonne. This has since been corrected to 130,000-133,000 yuan per tonne. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated to reflect this change. This price is part of […]
The prices were published at 3:59 pm UK time instead of the scheduled time of 2-3 pm UK time. The following price was published late:MB-STE-0149 steel scrap heavy scrap domestic, delivered mill China, yuan/tonne  These prices are a part of the Fastmarkets scrap package. For more information or to provide feedback on the delayed publication of […]
The publication of Fastmarkets’ iron ore indices for Friday June 20 was delayed due to a technical issue. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated. The following indices were affected:MB-IRO-0191 61% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao, $/tonneMB-IRO-0008 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao, $/tonneMB-IRO-0144 62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao, $/tonneMB-IRO-0015 Iron ore 58% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao, […]
Fastmarkets proposes to discontinue its outright price assessments for mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP).
The publication of Fastmarkets’ MB-ILM-0004 Ilmenite concentrate, 47-49% TiO2, cif China, $/tonne, MB-RUT-0001 Rutile 95% TiO2 min, large volumes for pigment, fob Australia, $/tonne and MB-RUT-0002 Rutile 95% TiO2 min, bagged, fob Australia, $/tonne price assessments for Thursday June 19 were delayed because of reporter error. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated. The following prices […]