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Photo – Prices for coking coal rose in June shutterstock.com
Coking coal

Towards the end of the month, the upward momentum in prices slowed

Global coking coal prices rose in June; however, this momentum was lost by the end of the month, despite high prices on the Chinese market.

According to Kallanish, the price of high-quality coking coal FOB Australia stood at $240.9/t as at 19 June 2026 (+0.6% compared with 29 May).

Spot prices for coking coal in China (EXW, Anze) on the same date stood at $301.8/t, up 20.4%6% compared with 29 May.

Photo – Prices for coking coal rose in June

The Chinese coking coal market is being supported, amongst other things, by the slow restart of mines in Shanxi Province against a backdrop of frequent safety inspections. In particular, according to the latest Mysteel survey, the total number of mines that were shut down or remain closed in the region following the fatal accident on 22 May had risen to 160 as of 24 June, five more than a week earlier. Consequently, the resumption of domestic supplies remains limited.

However, the momentum behind price rises in China has steadily weakened this week – buyers are resisting increases in spot prices for these products, expecting them to stabilise.

At the same time, Chinese coke producers implemented the eighth round of price increases for coke, which steel producers agreed to – from 22 June, the price rose by 55 yuan per tonne ($7/t). Stable demand for this product in the steelmaking sector was supported by improved blast furnace performance and increased pig iron production.

Prices for Australian seaborne coking coal, which had been rising at the start of the month, fell between 12 and 19 June as concerns over insufficient supplies to China eased, although this does not yet reflect the actual situation.

The Indian coking coal market showed a slight recovery this week (22–25 June), according to BigMint. However, spot transactions remained limited – buyers are awaiting clarification regarding the government’s forthcoming announcement on anti-dumping duties on coke. In July and August, buying activity is likely to remain moderate due to the seasonal slowdown.

It should be recalled that at the end of May, the dynamics of the global coking coal market were altered by a fatal accident at a mine in the Chinese province of Shanxi.