Platts adds natural rubber index

LSRUNQI

Platts adds natural rubber index

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

5 ~$ m% z( x/ N  V- eSingapore - Platts, a leading global provider of energy, petrochemicals and metals information and a foremost source of benchmark price assessments, today launched the Platts Natural Rubber Index (RBX), which is comprised of daily physical spot price assessments for Technically Specified Rubber Grade 20 (TSR 20) and Ribbed Smoked Sheets Grade 3 (RSS 3) grades of natural rubber. “Historically, rubber cargoes tended to change hands only once and were priced through long-term, bilateral deals, but traditional trade patterns are changing,” said Shahrin Ismaiyatim, Platts global director of petrochemicals. “It’s become clear that a need exists for transparent price information on a daily basis, and we believe that the Platts Natural Rubber Index will prove to be a useful benchmark reference for producers, manufacturers and market participants in the global rubber industry.” Platts RBX is the combination of daily price references for TSR 20 and RSS 3 as assessed and published by Platts and reflects cargoes loaded free on board (FOB) Singapore for one and two months forward. The price assessments are based on all-day market monitoring and data collection of transactions, bids, offers and other information from market participants in the spot physical markets. A mid-day Platts RBX is published at 12:00 p.m. Singapore time (0400 GMT) in addition to the end-of-day Platts RBX, which is available at the close of the physical market trading day at 4:30 p.m. local time Singapore (0830 GMT). Both are included in the real-time news and price delivery service Platts Petrochemical Alert and the weekly newsletter Platts Olefinscan. Platts also publishes a weekly and monthly average of its RBX.