First trades on CME copper premium contract point to Q1 2018 level at $65-68/t

Initial trades on the CME’s copper cif Shanghai futures contract suggest physical premiums for grade A cathodes will be at $65-68 per tonne for the first quarter of 2018.

Trades came in on Wednesday in the form of 25 lots placed on January, February and March contracts, all at $65 per tonne.

On Thursday a further 50 lots for each month of the first quarter were traded at a premium level of $68 per tonne, bringing the total to 225 lots and 5,625 tonnes.

The contract is settled against the monthly average of the Metal Bulletin daily copper premiums assessment, basis cif Shanghai.

Today’s assessment saw the Shanghai copper premium move up by $2 to a range of $70-82 per tonne.

The latest monthly average was $71.35 per tonne for November.

Those wishing to find out more about the contract and how Metal Bulletin assesses copper premiums in Shanghai can view a webinar featuring deputy Asia editor Kiki Kang and the CME’s Shan Islam here.

What to read next
The publication of Fastmarkets’ European aluminium billet premiums assessments for Friday February 6 was delayed because of a procedural error. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated.
Glencore’s share price fell sharply on Thursday February 5 after Rio Tinto confirmed it was no longer pursuing a potential merger, ending weeks of speculation about a combination that would have created one of the world’s largest mining companies.
The proposal to increase the publication frequency from monthly to weekly comes amid increased volatility of copper on the London Metal Exchange, while copper scrap discounts have been shifting on a more regular basis. This more frequent assessment will enable Fastmarkets to reflect market dynamics in a timelier manner, as well as capture more spot […]
Fastmarkets has corrected its assessments for Shanghai bonded nickel stocks on January 30.
Fastmarkets has corrected the rationale for its MB-AL-0346 Aluminium P1020A premium, in-whs dup Rotterdam, $/tonne that was published incorrectly on Thursday January 29.
Fastmarkets has corrected the rationale for its MB-AL-0299 aluminium 6063 extrusion billet premium, ddp Spain that was published incorrectly on Friday January 23.