Product Overview

What is Intratec Primary Commodity Prices?

Primary Commodity Prices is an annual subscription providing monthly price assessments, historical data, and price forecasts for 220+ commodities across 7 industries and multiple locations worldwide. Prices are derived from official government trade data processed through AI-driven pipelines or estimated using advanced mathematical models.

The subscription is designed for professionals who need reliable price benchmarks for procurement, commercial pricing, investment analysis, and strategic planning. Data is updated monthly and accessible through Online Charts, Excel Add-In, Power BI, and a REST Web API, depending on the plan. Starting price is $299 USD per year per industry.

How many commodities are covered?

Primary Commodity Prices covers 220+ commodities organized into 7 industries: Olefins & Derivatives, Polymers, Aromatics & Derivatives, Alcohols & Organic Acids, Inorganic Chemicals, Fertilizers & Gases, and Metals & Mining. Subscriptions are sold per industry — each subscription provides access to all commodities within the selected industry or industries.

How often is the price data updated?

All price data is updated monthly. During the last week of each month, data from governmental sources is collected. At the beginning of the following month, that data is processed and assessed to generate the update.

The exact release day depends on the subscription plan: the 3rd business day for Advanced and Ultimate plans, the 5th business day for Pro, and the 8th business day for Starter.

Are price forecasts included?

Price forecasts are available for selected commodities, covering a rolling 6-month forward period. Forecasts are included in Pro, Advanced, and Ultimate plans but are not available on the Starter plan.

Forecasts are generated using machine-learning and AI algorithms and are labeled with a "Forecast (F)" data status in the charts. They represent the most probable price scenario as of the latest monthly update. Commodity prices are subject to abrupt variations, so forecasts carry inherent uncertainty and should be used alongside other market intelligence rather than as a standalone reference.

What types of prices are published?

Primary Commodity Prices publishes three types of price assessments:

• Transaction Prices — Monthly, statistically treated average prices derived from closed international trade transactions. These represent a blended average across all concluded negotiations rather than any single contract or spot price.
• Contract Prices — Long-term contract prices established through multi-year agreements. These can be fixed or variable, adjusting based on formulas, raw material costs, or benchmark prices.
• Spot Prices — Prices at which a commodity can be purchased for immediate delivery, determined by current marketplace availability.

The price type for each assessment is indicated in the Data Legend displayed below the price chart. Detailed explanations of each assessment type are available in the publicly accessible methodology documents.

Where does the price data come from?

Price assessments are primarily derived from international trade statistics officially reported by governments worldwide, processed through structured AI-driven pipelines developed by a team of market experts, computer scientists, and data scientists.

Data sources fall into three categories:

• Primary sources — Official government trade statistics from national statistics bureaus, governmental agencies, international organizations, and market exchanges.
• Supplementary sources — Data from technology licensors, statistical bureaus, and private commodity exchanges, used alongside trade data in price models.
• Internal models — Mathematical models developed for assessments where trade data alone is insufficient, including formula-based, freight-based, and manufacturing cost-based approaches.

The proprietary, computer-based strategy significantly reduces human errors and prevents price assessments from being biased by market participants. Intratec applies homogeneity analyses to ensure each commodity's trade data meets acceptable quality standards before modeling. Specific data sources beyond these categories are considered trade secrets and are not disclosed on a per-commodity basis.

Is a free sample available before subscribing?

Free trials are not available, but several resources let you evaluate the product in depth before subscribing:

• Full commodity sample — Complete pricing data for Diammonium Phosphate, with all product features accessible, available at no cost.
• Data previews — One-year historical price series viewable as previews for every commodity covered.
• Methodology documentation — Publicly available documents covering data gathering, processing, modeling, and publication methods.
• Price type explanations — Detailed descriptions of each type of price assessment published, including how each is calculated.

These resources provide a thorough understanding of data quality, structure, and product features before committing to a subscription.

How is this different from real-time price feeds?

Primary Commodity Prices publishes monthly price data based on closed international trade transactions, updated at the beginning of each month. This is fundamentally different from a real-time price feed:

• Monthly data reflects actual completed transactions over the course of a month, providing a reliable benchmark for strategic planning, procurement analysis, and investment decisions.
• Real-time feeds track live market activity, capturing intraday price movements as they happen.

Monthly price data is well-suited for evaluating transaction prices, assessing procurement performance, identifying price trends, and supporting commercial strategies. However, when used alone, it may not capture sharp price movements during periods of high volatility. It should not be used as a reference for real-time commodity prices or as an index for structuring supplier-consumer contracts unless combined with other price references.