Platts proposes new alumina assessments (update)

Platts is proposing to launch on August 16, 2010, daily spot price assessments of alumina FOB Australia. On the same date, Platts will also increase the frequency of its weekly C&F North China alumina assessment to a daily CFR assessment, and will publish a daily spot price assessment for alumina traded in China's domestic market, basis ex-works in Henan province.

Platts proposes to publish international alumina prices in US dollars per metric ton for typical sandy calcined metallurgical grade, also known as smelter grade alumina or SGA, for loading FOB Australia 30-60 days from date of publication and for delivery CFR China 40-70 days forward. Platts will also publish daily spot freight rates for typical 25,000-35,000 mt cargoes of alumina shipped on Handymax or Supramax class vessels between Australia and China, normalized to Bunbury port in Western Australia and Qingdao port in Northern China.

Price assessments will reflect the close of the Asian/Australian markets time stamped at 6:30 pm Singapore time. Price assessments will be published in Platts Metals Alert, Metals Daily supplement and Metals Week, with monthly averages available on Platts Metals Alert, in Metals Week and the Platts Metals Week Price Notification Monthly Report.

Please address any comments or questions by July 31 to: Karen McBeth, tel. +1 202 383 2110, or karen_mcbeth@platts.com, Tina Allagh, tel. +1 202 383 2257, or tina_allagh@platts.com or Yuen Cheng Mok (65) 6530-6577, or YuenCheng_Mok@platts.com, with a cc to pricegroup@platts.com.