Dry bulk commodities gripped under the spell of metallurgical coal's renaissance

It‘s hard to imagine metallurgical coal exerting much influence on other commodity markets. But when the price of a commodity quadruples in slightly over 10 months, its clout amplifies.

A range of products in the metals and coal markets have glided into the slipstream of the year’s best commodity price performance - ignited by crippling Chinese and Australian coal supply shortages.

Spot premium hard coking coal prices from Australia was assessed at $310/mt FOB Australia on November 10, up from $76.45/mt FOB Australia at the start of the year.

Downstream commodities like coke and steel have emerged as winners from metallurgical coal’s bounce, and so have associated steel raw materials like iron ore and ferrous scrap.

Related markets like thermal coal have also enjoyed a stunning boost. To see how metallurgical coal price rally has affected other commodities, click to enlarge the image below or download the file here.

In collaboration with Zhang Jing, Joy Zhuo, Keith Tan, Kevin Seo, Phang Sui Ling, Michael Cooper, Alvin Yee and Edwin Yeo