MMi Daily Iron Ore Report (November 17)

The domestic ore market in Liaodong was generally stable today. Buyers were cautious in their inquiries, purchasing only for immediate needs, but some sellers held back from selling and held prices firm, reluctant to accept offers below their psychological expectations. Both sides were in a stalemate and stood on the sidelines, with trading thin. Demand side, steel mills were mostly incurring losses and had a strong desire to bargain down prices. Combined with maintenance at some mills, demand weakened in phases, exerting strong restraint on ore prices. However, ROM supply remained tight, and in the absence of notable positive external drivers, local ore processors had no production resumption plans in the near term.

In the second quarter of 2026, coal volumes transported by major eastern US railroads CSX and Norfolk Southern increased by 5% and 4%, respectively. However, their domestic coal shipments fell by 2% and 8%, while export volumes rose by 12% and 25%. The figures show that growth in US coal transportation was driven mainly by overseas demand rather than domestic power-sector consumption. Although the US government has introduced measures to support coal, including regulatory rollbacks and efforts to delay coal-plant retirements, coal consumption for electricity generation remained below year-earlier levels from January through May as natural gas and solar continued to displace coal. Weak domestic demand is likely to limit upside in US thermal coal prices, while stronger exports may provide some support to Appalachian thermal and metallurgical coal. However, increased US export supply could also limit gains in international coal prices.

Un ouvrier, âgé d’une cinquantaine d’années, est décédé après avoir été percuté par un camion à la mine de charbon à ciel ouvert d’United Wambo, en Nouvelle-Galles du Sud, en Australie. La mine, située à environ 23 kilomètres à l’ouest de Singleton, est exploitée conjointement par Glencore et Peabody. Les opérations minières ont été suspendues le temps que la police, les autorités de régulation et les représentants syndicaux en matière de sécurité enquêtent sur l’incident, un rapport devant être préparé pour le coroner. Une suspension prolongée pourrait réduire la production de charbon à court terme et apporter un certain soutien aux marchés du charbon connexes. Cependant, aucune information n’a été communiquée sur la durée de la suspension, les pertes de production ou les qualités de charbon concernées, ce qui rend prématurée toute évaluation de l’impact sur le charbon thermique, le charbon à coke ou les prix.