Mexico adopts Argus McCloskey API 2 price for coal imports
26 September 2016
Argus/McCloskey coal indexes are price benchmarks for most of world’s liquid and transparent coal markets
Officials building Mexico’s energy reform framework for power markets have chosen the API 2 Argus/McCloskey coal index as the basis for fuel-import calculations, according to global energy and commodity price reporting agency Argus, and IHS Markit (Nasdaq: INFO), a world leader in critical information, analytics and solutions.
The API 2 Argus/McCloskey coal index price represents an average of the Argus cif ARA assessment and the IHS McCloskey NW Europe Steam Coal marker, which are used globally to value global coal imports. Mexico’s energy secretary, Pedro Joaquin Coldwell, approved the use of API 2 indexation in reference prices for imported coal, and the new Mexican regulations took effect when published in the Diario Oficial de la Federación last month.
The API 2 index averages Argus’ assessments of cif ARA coal prices, or prices for coal delivered to the major northwest European hub, with the IHS McCloskey NW Europe Steam Coal marker, to create the world’s most-recognized price benchmark in international coal buying, selling and trading.
The Argus/IHS McCloskey coal indexes serve as the source for the price benchmarks of the most liquid and transparent coal markets in the world, and are used as the settlement prices in 90 percent of the world's physical and derivative contracts for coal. In addition to their trading functions Argus and IHS McCloskey price indexes are widely used in official fuel calculations in Latin America and around the world. Top regional producer Colombia has relied on the API 2 coal price index for royalties and tax purposes for many years. “We are pleased that the API 2 index is helping Mexico’s regulators, power generators and electricity customers manage fuel-price risk,” said Argus Media executive chairman and publisher Adrian Binks. “The Argus/McCloskey coal price indexes provide a firm market foundation for power calculations there.”
“We are delighted that the Mexican government has approved the use of the API 2 to price imported coal as part of its energy reform framework for power markets,” said John Howland, managing director, coal, at IHS Markit.
The Argus/McCloskey Coal Price Index service is the source of the API prices, which are the key indexes used for international physical and derivatives coal business. The API 2 price is the primary price reference for physical and over-the-counter (OTC) coal contracts in northwest Europe. The service also includes the API 4 index, which is the benchmark for coal exported out of Richards Bay in South Africa; the API 8 index, which is the benchmark for imported coal delivered into South China, and the API 5 the benchmark for lower quality coal exported from Australia.
