Final decision on open consultation on non-ferrous methodology

Fastmarkets invited feedback from the industry on its non-ferrous and industrial minerals methodologies, via an open consultation process between October 5 and November 3. This consultation was done as part of our published annual methodology review process.

The consultation sought to ensure that our methodology continues to reflect the physical markets in base metals, minor metals, ores and alloys and industrial minerals. This includes all elements of our pricing process, our price specifications and the publication frequency. View the consultation here.

The consultation closed on November 3, with no new comment or feedback received suggesting that any material change is required to the existing methodology, with the exception of chrome ore. A separate consultation on chrome ore was launched on September 21 and closed on November 2. View the outcome here.

A further consultation on a proposal to discontinue two inferred chromite price assessments was launched on November 8. View the open consultation here.

Fastmarkets has in the past month also launched a consultation inviting feedback on a potential discontinuation of its lithium contract price assessments to reflect the evolving lithium marketplace, where long-term contract negotiations are increasingly linked to spot price indexation. View the open consultation here.

No other price consultations will be opened as a result of this consultation at this stage. Fastmarkets invites feedback on a continuing basis throughout the year.

To provide comment or feedback on the content of the non-ferrous or industrial minerals methodologies, or if you would like to provide price information by becoming a data submitter to these prices or indices, please email pricing@fastmarkets.com. Please add the subject heading ‘FAO: Fleur Ritzema/Juliet Walsh, re: Non-ferrous methodology.’

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

What to read next
Copper scrap discounts in the United States continued to be steady in the week to Wednesday November 22, with sources noting little changes week on week ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.
This week, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) launched option contracts on lithium hydroxide, which are cash-settled and differ from many of the CME commodity options on futures
China’s lithium prices continued to soften in the week to Thursday November 16, remaining under downward pressure from persistently weak buying appetite and bearish sentiment
Fastmarkets is inviting feedback from the industry on the pricing methodologies for Log Lines and Woodfiber & Biomass Markets as part of its announced annual methodology review process.
Please note Fastmarkets has corrected its assessment for MB-MG-0005 magnesium, 99.9% min, ex-whs Baltimore, US cents/lb, which was erroneously published a week early on Thursday November 9.
Please note Fastmarkets has corrected its index assessments for steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix), North Europe origin, cfr Turkey, MB-STE-0416, and steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix), US origin, cfr Turkey, MB-STE-0417, which were published incorrectly on Thursday November 9.