Previously, the weekly price assessment accepted data from China, Korea and Japan on a CIF basis, with major ports normalized. Fastmarkets will now no longer collect data on a CIF China basis, and instead focus on data relating to imports for Japan and Korea.
Production of nickel sulfate from intermediates including mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP) and nickel matte in China has ramped up at a significant pace compared to Japan and South Korea, meaning that significant price gaps have emerged between the different markets, with Japan and South Korea dominated by nickel sulfate produced via metal dissolution.
As a result of these price gaps, China was no longer being reflected in the price assessment, prompting the proposal to remove it as a delivery location.
The change will take place from the next publication on Friday May 26.
The new price names and specifications are as follows:
MB-NI-0246 - Nickel sulfate, cif Japan, and Korea, $/tonne
Quality: Accepted by buyer for use in battery applications with chemical composition: Ni content, base 22.3% max, min 22%, cobalt 50ppm max
Quantity: Min 1 tonne
Location: CIF major ports Japan, South Korea (other ports normalized)
Timing: Within 60 days
Unit: USD/tonne
Publication: Weekly. Friday, 4pm London time
MB-NI-0247 – Nickel sulfate premium, cif Japan, and Korea, $/tonne
Quality: Accepted by buyer for use in battery applications with chemical composition: Ni content, base 22.3% max, min 22%, cobalt 50ppm max
Quantity: Min 1 tonne
Location: CIF major ports Japan and Korea, on top of monthly average LME nickel cash price
Timing: Within 60 days
Unit: USD/tonne
Publication: Weekly. Friday, 4pm London time
To provide feedback on this cif nickel sulfate price or if you would like to provide price information by becoming a data submitter please contact Callum Perry by email at: pricing@fastmarkets.com. Please add the subject heading “FAO: Callum Perry, re: Nickel sulfate cif CJK.”
To see all Fastmarkets’ pricing methodology and specification documents go to https://www.fastmarkets.com/about-us/methodology
