Insight
Buckling under pressure: Australian metallurgical coal struggles to reach potential
Report summary
China's campaign against illegal scrap-based steel plants continues to ignite blast furnace production, and strict discipline amongst Chinese coal producers has been a boon for seaborne metallurgical coal suppliers. Australia's attempts to meet this new demand have been thwarted by a range of mine, rail and port issues that have hampered exports, and led to price rises well above those of equivalent Chinese coals. Although the cycle looks set to turn, as Chinese mills baulk at the high prices, Australia's travails have posed serious questions about the ability of the supply chain to respond to surging demand.
Table of contents
- Queensland's post-cyclone supply surgeis being thwarted
- Southern coalfield production goes south
- Industrial dispute risk growing but impact to date is limited
- Supply constraints are mostly short-term in nature
Tables and charts
This report includes 3 images and tables including:
- Queensland monthly metallurgical coal exports (Mt)
- Port Kembla monthly metallurgical coal exports (Mt)
- Southern Coalfield production summary
What's included
This report contains:
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