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.

Seorang pekerja yang diyakini berusia 50-an tahun meninggal setelah tertabrak truk di tambang batubara terbuka United Wambo di New South Wales, Australia. Tambang yang terletak sekitar 23 kilometer di sebelah barat Singleton itu dioperasikan bersama oleh Glencore dan Peabody. Operasi penambangan dihentikan sementara polisi, regulator, dan perwakilan keselamatan serikat pekerja menyelidiki insiden tersebut, serta laporan akan disiapkan untuk koroner. Penghentian yang berkepanjangan dapat mengurangi produksi batubara jangka pendek dan memberikan sedikit dukungan pada pasar batubara terkait. Namun, belum ada informasi mengenai durasi penghentian, kerugian produksi, atau kualitas batubara yang terdampak, sehingga terlalu dini untuk menilai dampak pada batubara termal, batubara kokas, atau harga.