Platts proposes changes to global cobalt metal coverage

As part of a broad review of its cobalt metal coverage, S&P Global Platts is seeking feedback on two separate proposals.

COVERAGE CONSOLIDATION: Platts proposes to consolidate the coverage of the cobalt market under two key regional assessments, effective July 31, 2020. As part of this consolidation, Platts proposes to discontinue the publication of the assessments for cobalt metal of Russian and Zambian origin, currently assessed on a DDP US basis. Instead this material would be reflected in Platts in-warehouse Europe and DDP US assessments, after normalization to standard parameters. The last assessments of Zambian and Russian cobalt would be published July 30.

EUROPEAN COBALT METAL: Platts proposes to publish Cobalt 99.8% Europe assessment on a daily basis and change its specifications to align it with the prevailing market practice, effective June 15. Platts proposes to reflect volumes of max 100 mt, instead of current 5 mt, and include broken cathodes and briquettes in addition to the currently assessed cut cathodes. As part of this change, Platts would start publishing weekly, monthly and annual averages for the European price.

There would be no changes to the Platts Cobalt US Spot Cathode assessment.

The affected assessments are published on the real-time Platts Metals Alert's fixed pages MT0375, MW0375, PMA0375, MW9065, MT9065, PMA9065, in the Metals Daily, Metals Week Supplement and in the Platts price database under the following codes:

Cobalt Russian MMANL04

Cobalt Zambian MMAKF00

Cobalt 99.8% European MMAIK00

Please send any feedback, comments or questions about these proposals to EMEAMetalsTeam@spglobal.com and pricegroup@spglobal.com by May 7, 2020.

For written comments, please provide a clear indication if comments are not intended for publication by Platts for public viewing. Platts will consider all comments received and will make comments not marked as confidential available upon request.