While earlier annual benchmark negotiations were led mainly by major steelmakers in Japan and Europe, Chinese steelmakers had an increasing say through their activity in spot markets as growing steel capacity fueled their appetite for coking coal imports.
More than a decade on, the coking coal market has not looked back on its price indexation journey, although a new set of events – the pandemic, China's unofficial ban on Australian coal, erratic weather and the Russia-Ukraine war – may see a change of guard in terms of spot market activity, chiefly by India and Russia.
Aluminium prices diverge as LME gains, SHFE declines amid rising inventories
Tariffs on Mexico finalised, SHFE aluminium weakens due to alumina drag
