Platts launches MX and toluene CIF-FOB ARA differential price assessment

Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, has started assessing differentials between CIF and FOB ARA prices for mixed xylenes and toluene, effective June 30.

Platts published its decision to begin assessing the differentials on May 27, following an earlier proposal on April 28.

The differentials will be databased under the following symbols and descriptions:

Description	Laycan	Symbol	Mavg	Wavg
MX CIF ARA spread to FOB ARA $/mt	5-30 days forward	MTCRA00	MTCRA03	MTCRA04
Toluene CIF ARA spread to FOB ARA Mo01 $/mt	Current month (M1) in line with the usual roll	MTCRB00	MTCRB03	MTCRB04
Toluene CIF ARA spread to FOB ARA Mo02 $/mt	Next month (M2) in line with the usual roll	MTCRC00	MTCRC03	MTCRC04
Toluene CIF ARA spread to FOB ARA $/mt	5-30 days forward	MTCRD00	MTCRD03	MTCRD04

The Platts FOB ARA price assessments have decoupled from the CIF ARA assessments, which were previously assessed at parity.

A positive differential signifies a premium of CIF ARA prices over FOB ARA prices, while a negative differential indicates a discount.

The differentials will be published alongside the existing outright assessments:

Assessment name	Symbol	MAvg	WAvg
Mixed xylene FOB ARA	PHABD00	PHBFQ03	PHABD04
Toluene TDI FOB ARA Mo01	AASFF00	AASFF03	AASFF04
Toluene TDI FOB ARA Mo02	AASFJ00	AASFJ03	AASFJ04
Toluene TDI FOB ARA	AASFD00	AASFD03	AASFD04

These assessments appear on Platts Connect, PlattsMarketCenter, Platts Chemical Alert (PCA) fixed pages 0328, 0432, 0444, 0377,0432,0324, and in Polymerscan, and Europe and Americas Petrochemicalscan.

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