SUBSCRIBER NOTE: Platts to launch ACN CIF ARA assessment July 5

Following feedback, S&P Global Platts has decided to launch on July 5, 2016, a weekly price and monthly average European acrylonitrile (ACN) assessment reflecting the value of imports arriving to Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Antwerp ports from various locations in response to changing market conditions.

The assessed price will be in $/mt on a CIF ARA basis.

The new assessment is intended to rebase the Platts European ACN weekly and monthly average assessment on delivery to Northwest Europe rather than Southern Europe, which is implied in the current CIF MED assessment.

The new CIF ARA assessment will be published in Polymerscan as well as Petrochemical Alert pages PC0175, PC0244 and PC0459 alongside the existing CIF MED assessment, at parity.

At the same time, Platts will monitor liquidity in the CIF MED assessment with a view to engaging the market in a formal process of discontinuation, leaving CIF ARA as the single assessment reflecting the value of European ACN in time for next year's contractual season.

Like the current CIF MED assessment, the CIF ARA assessment will reflect material loading 3-30 days forward from the date of publication with a minimum cargo size of 500 mt.

Product specifications are a minimum purity of 99.4%, maximum water content of 0.5%, and maximum non-volatile bases content of 100 ppm.

Please send any comments and queries to pl_petchems_ln@platts.com and pricemethodology@platts.com.

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.