Platts to change brand list for European cobalt assessments

Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, will include Lygend cut cathodes in its European Cobalt Metal 99.8% Mixed-Use Basket B assessment, while removing Jinchuan as a named brand from the European Cobalt Metal 99.8% Alloy Use assessment, effective Sept. 1.

Jinchuan is seldom reported to be traded in the European spot market, and recent indications for this brand have been presented at considerable discounts compared to other Alloy-Use brands.

Under the changes, the Mixed-Use Basket B assessment (symbol MMAIK00) will consider the following list of cobalt metal brands:

• CTT broken cathodes
• Ambatovy briquettes
• Vale Long Harbor cobalt rounds 99.9%
• Murrin Murrin briquettes
• Lygend cut cathodes

The Alloy-Use assessment (ECMAG00) will consider the following brands:

• Vale Port Colborne cobalt rounds 99.9%
• Sumitomo Metal Mining (SMM) cut cathodes 99.8%
• Nikkelverk cut cathodes 99.95%

Other brands may be considered for the assessments and may be subject to normalization.

Platts originally proposed the changes on July 14, following initial feedback gathered during the annual review of Platts global nonferrous specifications guide.

Platts reshaped its European cobalt assessments by publishing separate assessments for mixed-use and alloy-use cobalt on Sept. 2, 2024. Please refer to Platts global nonferrous specifications guide for more details.

Please send any comments and questions to EMEAMetalsTeam@spglobal.com and pricegroup@spglobal.com.

For written comments, please provide a clear indication if the 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.