During the week ending October 14, average metallurgical coke prices in the Chinese domestic market have indicated sharp rises, while transaction activity in the overall market has been at decent levels. As of October 14, coke futures contract (1701) offers at Dalian Commodity Exchange closed at RMB 1,454/mt ($216/mt), up $19.4/mt week on week. Average coke prices in the local Chinese market are presented in the following table.
During the given week, air quality issues in northern China have resulted in restrictions on production activities of coking plants. In addition, restrictions on the overloading of road transport vehicles have increased the cost of coke, resulting in rises in coke prices. Meanwhile, coking coal prices have also increased, providing support for coke prices. Furthermore, after the long holiday, coke futures prices have continued to rise, reflecting optimism on the future prospects for the coke market. It is thought that coke prices in the Chinese domestic market will likely move up in the coming week.
| Product name | Specification | Place of origin | Price (RMB/mt) | Price ($/mt) | Weekly change (RMB/mt) |
| Coke | Second grade | Hancheng, Shaanxi | 1,350 | 201 | ↑50 |
| Zibo, Shandong | 1,530 | 228 | ↑130 | ||
| Pingdingshan, Henan | 1,550 | 231 | ↑150 | ||
| Tangshan | 1,550 | 231 | ↑130 | ||
| Huaibei, Anhui | 1,550 | 231 | ↑150 | ||
| Average | 1,506 | 224 | ↑122 |
17 percent VAT is included in all prices and all prices are ex-warehouse.
$1 = RMB 6.72