Australian Coking Coal: FOB prices climb up on PLV bookings
...
Seaborne premium low-volatile (PLV) hard coking coal (HCC) prices inched marginally higher on an FOB Australia basis with the conclusion of a sell tender early this week.
However, traders expect that a sluggish market may follow as Chinese buyers retreat for the Spring Festival. Prices should remain mostly flat until the Chinese market participants return from their week-long holidays.
Chinese steel markets and coke plants are seeing positive margins at the moment, but it's hard to gauge the market direction after the Lunar New Year celebrations.
Meanwhile, China-based sources said that quotas may be applied on monthly import volumes at ports in the Tangshan area. It's also being heard that at Caoefidian the import quota has been set at around 450,000 tonnes per month.
PRICE ASSESSMENTS
Latest offers for the Premium HCC grade are assessed at around USD 153.00/MT FOB Australia, higher by USD 0.50/MT than the average rate of USD 152.50/MT prevailing during the week gone by (13th - 17th Jan'20).
Offers for the 64 Mid Vol HCC grade are assessed at around USD 134.00/MT FOB Australia.
For Indian buyers, the above offers amount to USD 165.50/MT and USD 146.50/MT respectively on CNF India basis.
Pulverized Coal Injection (PCI) & Semi Soft Coking Coal
| FOB Australia | CNF China | CNF India | |
| Low Vol PCI | 90.00 | 101.50 | 102.50 |
| Mid Tier PCI | 86.75 | 98.25 | 99.25 |
| Semi Soft | 80.75 | 92.25 | 93.25 |
N.B.: All prices are in USD/MT
