RE: Coal seems to be dying - slowly2 Jul 2021 14:45
The standard GC Newcastle contact listed on ICE weights 1,000 metric tonnes...
Coal futures extended gains to above $130 a tonne in early July, the highest level since January of 2011, as supply constraints and higher demand more than offset China’s efforts to tame rallying commodity prices. Warm northern hemisphere summer increased demand from Japan and South Korea while demand from the Chinese steel industry remains strong. Meanwhile, output restrictions in Shanxi production hubs amid tighter safety inspections and environmental curbs, as well as the closure of the Mongolian border due to Covid-19, led to a reduction in domestic coking coal production. Also, Chinese imports of coal during the first five months of the year declined by 31.7m tonnes from the previous year. Since last October, when China placed an unofficial ban on coal imports from Australia, coal prices more than doubled.