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Related party transactions
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
Related party transactions
Related party transactions
Our significant related party transactions occurring during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015 are described below. We believe that all of the transactions with our related parties were at prices that approximate market.
Glencore ownership
As of September 30, 2016, Glencore plc and its affiliates (together "Glencore") owned 42.9% of Century’s outstanding common stock and all of our outstanding Series A Convertible Preferred stock resulting in 47.5% ownership in Century Aluminum.
Sales to Glencore
We are party to an agreement with Glencore pursuant to which we agreed to sell, and Glencore agreed to purchase, substantially all of our primary aluminum production in North America for 2015 and 2016 on a take-or-pay basis at prices determined by reference to the Midwest Transaction Price plus additional negotiated product premiums. The current term of the agreement continues through December 31, 2016. In addition, we have agreed to sell approximately 24,500 tonnes of molten aluminum to Glencore during 2017 at prices based on the Midwest Transaction Price.
We sell primary aluminum produced at our Grundartangi, Iceland smelter ("Grundartangi") under a long-term sales contract through 2017 with Glencore at prices based on the London Metal Exchange ("LME") price for primary aluminum plus the European Duty Paid premium and any applicable product premiums. We also received tolling fees from Glencore under a tolling agreement that provided for delivery of primary aluminum produced at our Grundartangi facility through June 2016. The fee paid by Glencore under this tolling agreement was based on the LME price for primary aluminum plus a portion of the European Duty Paid premium.
Glencore purchases the aluminum we produce for resale.
Purchases from Glencore
We purchase alumina from Glencore under a long-term supply agreement and on a spot basis. Pursuant to our current agreement, Glencore has agreed to supply us with alumina through 2017 at prices indexed to the LME price of primary aluminum. In 2015 and 2016, upon mutual agreement, all of our purchases from Glencore under this agreement were priced based on a published alumina index.
Financial contracts with Glencore
During 2016, we entered into certain financial contracts with Glencore. Refer to Note 15 Derivative instruments to the consolidated financial statements included herein. Settlements of financial contracts with Glencore are not material to the
consolidated financial statements for all periods presented.

Transactions with Baise Haohai Carbon Co., Ltd. ("BHH")
We own a 40% stake in BHH, a joint venture that owns a carbon anode and cathode facility located in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of south China.  We purchase carbon anodes from BHH.  In the fourth quarter of 2015, we completed the construction of a second furnace at our carbon anode facility in Vlissingen, Netherlands. This investment increased our capacity to produce carbon anodes and significantly reduced the quantity of carbon anodes that we source from BHH. As a result, in the fourth quarter of 2015, we made the decision to pursue an exit from our investment in BHH and recorded an $11,584 impairment loss.
Summary
A summary of the aforementioned significant related party transactions for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015 is as follows: 
 
Three months ended September 30,
 
Nine months ended September 30,
 
2016
2015
 
2016
2015
Net sales to Glencore
$
301,111

$
428,018

 
$
871,771

$
1,517,428

Purchases from Glencore
62,317

86,664

 
156,507

328,120

Purchases from BHH
2,568

13,515

 
7,666

41,768