[SMM Steel] Steel Market Sideways as Market Awaits Government Decisions

A Russian strike on the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia on August 11 killed seven employees of the Zaporizhstal steel plant. Parent company Metinvest Group said production at the plant had come to a complete halt, while other damaged facilities were operating at reduced capacity.

Australia exported 86.4 million tonnes of coking coal in January–July 2026, up 2.7% year on year. July exports reached 12.28 million tonnes, representing a 4.6% year-on-year increase. By destination, India’s imports of Australian coking coal fell 13% to 20.4 million tonnes, while Japan’s purchases rose 10% to 18.7 million tonnes and China’s surged 62% to 9.3 million tonnes. Calculations based on the reported figures show that the combined increase in shipments to China and Japan exceeded the decline in shipments to India, broadly accounting for Australia’s overall export growth.

Russian coal exports to Türkiye fell by 22.9% year on year to 12.1 million tonnes in the first half of 2026, a decline of 3.6 million tonnes. Türkiye’s combined imports of thermal coal, coking coal and anthracite decreased by 9.0% to 18.2 million tonnes, while Russia’s market share dropped from 78.5% to 66.5%. Colombian deliveries rose by 38.9% to 2.5 million tonnes, while Kazakh supplies doubled to 1.6 million tonnes. Their combined increase of around 1.5 million tonnes offset approximately 42% of the reduction in Russian shipments. The source said Russian producers were exporting at zero or negative margins, with shipments through southern and northwestern ports operating at a loss amid constrained rail capacity and rising rail tariffs. If these pressures persist, Russia could lose further share in the Turkish market.