Coke prices hard to rise

News was prepared under the information support of Online Daily Newspaper on Hellenic and international Shipping "Hellenic Shipping News".

2 Sep 2010

At home, coke prices may rise slightly in the third quarter, but the prospect of a substantial turnaround remains dim. Solutions to the chronic overcapacity of coke and coal shortages are still missing. While raising prices in some cases, the steel industry as a whole is still struggling to battle against rising iron ore costs.
Meanwhile, its main consumer markets such as real estate remains stagnant amid tightening housing measures. Therefore, steelmakers are more likely to pass on the burden to their downstream sectors including the coke sector.
Again, coke producers have turned their eyes to the overseas markets. In July, China exported nearly 600,000 tons of coke and semi-coke, 1.2 times above the monthly average of the January to April period, with its unit export price ranging between $410 and $450 per ton.
In the first seven months, a total of two million tons of coke were exported, up 280,000 tons, or 6 times, from last year.

Source: China Isia