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Related Party Transactions
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
Related party transactions
Related party transactions

The significant related party transactions occurring during the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 are described below.
 
Sales to Glencore
 
We sold primary aluminum and alumina to Glencore both at spot and on a long-term contract basis.  See Note 20 Business segments for additional information about the sales of primary aluminum to Glencore.
 
We sold primary aluminum under spot and long-term sales contracts with Glencore at prices based on the LME price for primary aluminum, as adjusted to reflect the Midwest premium (a premium typically added for deliveries of aluminum within the U.S.). In addition, we received tolling fees from Glencore under tolling agreements that provide for delivery of primary aluminum produced at Grundartangi. The fee paid by Glencore under these tolling agreements is based on the LME price for primary aluminum, as adjusted to reflect the exemption from the European Duty Paid premium for Icelandic primary aluminum. We believe that all of the transactions with Glencore were at prices that approximate market.
 
We had a long-term contract to sell Glencore primary aluminum, at a variable price based on the LME, adjusted by a negotiated U.S. Midwest market premium with a cap and floor as applied to the current U.S. Midwest Premium.  In addition, we had a contract to sell Glencore all U.S. produced primary aluminum, less existing sales agreements and high-purity metal sales.  The term of the contract may be extended upon mutual agreement.  See Note 16 Forward contracts and financial instruments for additional information about our forward physical delivery contracts and tolling agreements with Glencore. We sold high-purity metal in 2013 on a spot basis at variable prices based on the LME, plus Midwest delivery and product premiums.
 
Purchases from Glencore
 
We purchase alumina from Glencore on both a spot and long-term contract basis. We believe that all of the alumina purchased under these long-term contracts was purchased at prices which approximated market. For alumina purchased from Glencore on a spot basis, we determined the market price for the spot alumina we purchased based on a survey of suppliers at the time that had the ability to deliver spot alumina on the specified terms.  Based on this survey, we believe that all of the alumina purchased on a spot basis from Glencore was purchased at prices that approximate market.
 
Alumina contract and amendments.  We have agreements to buy alumina from Glencore.  In 2013, 2012 and 2011, the pricing on these alumina purchase agreements for Grundartangi has been indexed to the LME price for primary aluminum. We are party to multiple long-term alumina supply agreements with Glencore.  Glencore agreed to supply us with alumina through 2017 at prices indexed to the LME price of primary aluminum. Approximately half of the purchases under this agreement for 2014, will be priced based on a published alumina index. We believe that the alumina purchased from Glencore under these contracts was purchased at prices that approximate market.
 
Primary aluminum put options
 
During 2011, we entered into primary aluminum put option contracts with Glencore that settled in 2012.  We paid cash premiums to enter into these contracts.  We believe that the cash premiums paid to Glencore under these contracts were purchased at prices that approximate market.
 

Transactions with BHH
 
We own a 40% stake in BHH, a carbon anode and cathode facility located in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of south China.  We have a long-term agreement with BHH to provide carbon anodes to Grundartangi through December 31, 2014.  This agreement is renewable through December 31, 2017. We believe that the carbon anodes purchased from BHH were purchased at prices that approximate market.
 
Summary
 
A summary of the aforementioned related party transactions for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 is as follows:

 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2013
2012
2011
Net sales to Glencore
$
511,051

$
552,299

$
564,431

Purchases from Glencore
173,693

145,589

187,691

Purchases from BHH
86,678

39,337

19,543

Cash premium to Glencore for put option contracts


2,106


 
See Note 5 Derivatives and hedging instruments for a discussion of our fixed-price commitments and forward financial contracts.