[SMM Daily Brief Review of Coking Coal and Coke] 20260319

Published: Mar 19, 2026 17:02
[SMM Daily Brief Review of Coking Coal and Coke] In terms of supply, after the Two Sessions concluded, operating rates at coke producers increased somewhat, and shipments improved. Inventory pressure eased for most coke producers, with supply remaining stable while increasing slightly. Demand side, blast furnaces in Hebei resumed operations and production, and hot metal production is expected to increase. In addition, steel mill profits improved somewhat, and finished steel shipments picked up, boosting steel mills' production enthusiasm and strengthening their purchase willingness for coke. Overall, coke fundamentals improved, but the market remains in a wait-and-see mode, and the coke market may remain stable in the short term.

[SMM Daily Brief Review of Coking Coal and Coke]

Coking coal market:

Linfen low-sulphur coking coal was quoted at 1,450 yuan/mt. Tangshan low-sulphur coking coal was quoted at 1,490 yuan/mt.

In terms of coking coal, coal mines maintained normal operations, and coking coal production was stable. Recently, downstream inquiries increased and transactions improved, easing inventory pressure at coal mines. In addition, there were pre-sales, which supported optimistic sentiment among mines. Prices of some coal varieties that had previously fallen excessively, as well as high-quality coking coal resources, are expected to edge up slightly. In the short term, the coking coal market may remain generally stable with slight rise.

Coke market:

The nationwide average price of first-grade metallurgical coke, dry-quenched, was 1,735 yuan/mt. The nationwide average price of quasi-first-grade metallurgical coke, dry-quenched, was 1,595 yuan/mt. The nationwide average price of first-grade metallurgical coke, wet-quenched, was 1,390 yuan/mt. The nationwide average price of quasi-first-grade metallurgical coke, wet-quenched, was 1,300 yuan/mt.

In terms of supply, with the Two Sessions concluded, coke enterprises raised their operating rates somewhat, and shipments improved. Inventory pressure on coke at most coke enterprises eased, and supply remained stable with a slight increase. Demand side, blast furnaces in Hebei resumed operations and production, and hot metal production is expected to increase. In addition, steel mill profits improved somewhat, and finished steel shipments also improved, boosting steel mills' production enthusiasm and strengthening their purchase willingness for coke. Overall, coke market fundamentals improved, but the market is still in a wait-and-see mood. In the short term, the coke market may remain stable.[SMM Steel]

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM's internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or for more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn
For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn
Related News
7.8 SMM Global Steel Daily
37 mins ago
7.8 SMM Global Steel Daily
Read More
7.8 SMM Global Steel Daily
7.8 SMM Global Steel Daily
[Flat Products] Flat-product exports steady day-on-day, HRC deals at 489-497 USD/tonne On 8 July, Chinese HRC and other flat-product export prices were steady day-on-day, with HRC export deals concluded at 489-497 USD/tonne FOB. A rally in the domestic futures board that day lifted inquiries somewhat, but most participants judged the upward move to lack staying power, mills showed limited willingness to raise offers, and actual transactions reportedly improved little. At the same time, renewed US-Iran tensions kept Middle East inquiries from recovering meaningfully, and overseas buying stayed cautious overall. Regional fundamentals were soft: Vietnam's Formosa cut its domestic HRC price for August-September delivery by about 40 USD/tonne, with SAE1006 HRC quoted around 545 USD/tonne in Ho Chi Minh City, while Hoa Phat had earlier trimmed its August HRC offer by about 34 USD/tonne, and falling Southeast Asian import prices further capped any upside in Chinese flatproduct export offers. [Billet] Billet export FOB edges up to 459-462 USD/tonne On 8 July, Chinese billet export FOB prices rose by about 1 USD/tonne day-on-day, quoted in a range of 459-462 USD/tonne. On specific terms, 3sp billet in 150*150mm was offered at 462 USD/tonne FOB out of Jiangyin port. Inquiries reportedly increased on the day, but buyers largely stayed on the sidelines after checking prices, so concluding deals remained difficult; the gain reflected a modest lift in offers rather than any pickup in transacted volume. [Rebar] Rebar export prices little changed, order intake recovers slowly On 8 July, market feedback indicated that Chinese rebar export prices had shown little movement recently, with limited room for negotiation. On specific terms, B500B rebar in Φ18mm was offered at 483 USD/tonne FOB out of Tianjin port. Overall, export order intake was recovering slowly and booked volumes had shrunk, with a few export-oriented mills cutting output for maintenance; with both supply and demand subdued, prices lacked clear direction.
37 mins ago
MMi Daily Iron Ore Report (July 8)
44 mins ago
MMi Daily Iron Ore Report (July 8)
Read More
MMi Daily Iron Ore Report (July 8)
MMi Daily Iron Ore Report (July 8)
Today, DCE iron ore futures trended weakly, with contract I2609 closing at 746 yuan/mt, up 0.88% from the previous trading day. Port spot prices rose by about 5-7 yuan/mt from the previous day. Trader activity was average, and steel mills purchased on an as-needed basis. As of now, spot trading sentiment has been mediocre.
44 mins ago
[China Iron Ore Brief] Iron ore concentrate prices in the Tangshan area will likely keep consolidating.
56 mins ago
[China Iron Ore Brief] Iron ore concentrate prices in the Tangshan area will likely keep consolidating.
Read More
[China Iron Ore Brief] Iron ore concentrate prices in the Tangshan area will likely keep consolidating.
[China Iron Ore Brief] Iron ore concentrate prices in the Tangshan area will likely keep consolidating.
56 mins ago
Register to Continue Reading
Gain access to the latest insights in metals and new energy
Already have an account?Sign in here
[SMM Daily Brief Review of Coking Coal and Coke] 20260319 - Shanghai Metals Market (SMM)