The Chinese metallurgical coal and coke export markets were both muted this week, as participants retreated for the Golden Week holidays.
However, domestic met coke prices in China remained supported at higher levels amid supply tightness, coupled with firm demand despite shrinking steel margins.
Average spot prices for China-originated met coke had shot up to their highest levels during September since the beginning of the year on the back of a steady recovery in Northeast Asian steel output.
CoalMint assessed the latest price for Chinese domestic met coke with 12.5% Ash at CNY 2,010/t DDP North China on Oct. 1, unchanged from Sept. 24.
Meanwhile, Chinese domestic coking coal market kept steady barring a few regional upticks. Market participants indicated that buying interest has diminished for most types of coking coal except gas coal in Shandong, where coal mines were temporarily shut due to safety checks.
China’s Aug coking coal import fall 20.9% YoY, anthracite surges 53.6%
China’s coking coal imports in August fell 20.9% from the year-ago level, according to General Administration of Customs (GAC).
Coking coal imports totaled 7.17 mn t in August, 2.71% lower than the preceding month, official data showed.
The import value plunged 40.2% year-on-year to $749.94 mn in August. This translated to an average import price of $117.52/t, rising $3.19/t from July and down $20.7/t y-o-y.
In the first eight months, the country’s coking coal imports totaled 52.66 mn t, falling 0.6% y-o-y. The value dropped 12.4% y-o-y to $6.62 bn.
In August, China imported 540,000 t of anthracite, surging 53.6% from a year ago but 21.74% from July.
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