During the week ending March 13, metallurgical coke prices in the Chinese domestic market have indicated a slight downtrend in Pingdingshan in Henan Province and in Tangshan, though remaining stable in other regions, while transaction activity in the overall market has improved compared to the previous week. As of March 13, coke futures contract (1509) offers at Dalian Commodity Exchange closed at RMB 1,034/mt ($165/mt), almost remaining stable week on week.
Local coke prices in the Chinese domestic market can be viewed in the SteelOrbis price reports section.
During the given week, domestic steelmakers have stepped up their purchases of coke, resulting in increased transaction activity. However, at the same time, steelmakers still want to limit their purchase costs. Currently, inventory levels of coke are at low levels, which may provide some support for coke prices. Meanwhile, since finished steel prices may indicate greater stability in the short term, coking plants are likely to keep their coke offer prices unchanged after the slight declines already seen. It is expected that coke prices in the Chinese domestic market will move on a stable trend in the coming week.