Platts to launch new alumina assessments

After a period of industry feedback, Platts will launch on August 16, 2010, a daily spot price assessment 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 ex-works domestic China, basis Henan province.

Platts will 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 a daily spot freight rate for typical 25,000 mt, 30,000 mt or 35,000 mt cargoes of alumina shipped on Handymax class vessels between Australia and China, normalized to Bunbury/Kwinana ports in Western Australia and Qingdao port in Northern China.

Price assessments will reflect the close of the Asian/Australian markets time stamped at 5:30 pm Singapore time. Price assessments will be published in Platts Metals Alert, Metals Daily supplements 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 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