The coking coal market is showing a trend of rising prices during the first half of April, indicating a move towards equilibrium, traders report. According to Kallanish, Australian prices for premium coking coal have risen by $14 per ton, reaching $181 FOB as of April 11. This increase occurred amid supply constraints due to an accident at the major Appin mine in New South Wales and the shutdown of the Moranbah North mine in Queensland. At the same time, traders say that Japanese and Indian steel mills have not placed orders due to high freight rates, making purchases from Australia economically unfeasible for them. Therefore, experts estimate that the market is gradually moving towards balance.
This is reported by Бізнес • Медіа
Changes in Coal Prices in China and Their Impact
Prices for premium Chinese coking coal have increased by $5 per ton, reaching $181 EXW as of April 11, according to traders. This rise coincides with increased price offers from coking plants. Meanwhile, coal stocks in Chinese mines remain low, and shipments for previous orders are being carried out as usual. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, coking production in the first quarter of 2025 rose by 2.4% compared to last year, reaching 123.3 million tons, but there was a decline of 4.1% in March, down to 41.3 million tons. This indicates a significant reduction in coke stocks at steel mills, despite a 4.6% increase in steel production in March, reaching 92.84 million tons. However, the potential for further price increases is limited due to falling prices for finished steel products in China. For instance, the price of rebar in China decreased by $12 per ton, down to $416 FOT from April 1 to 11, which is a situational factor caused by uncertainty regarding future steel export prospects due to the trade war with the USA.