US coking coal
Overview
The US is the world’s second largest coking coal exporter, and with its unique high-volatile grades an increasingly sought-after product, US coking coal prices are critical to market dynamics across Europe, South America and Asia-Pacific.
Argus provides three fob Hampton Roads coking coal price assessments — low-volatile, high-volatile type A (HVA) and high-volatile type B (HVB). These assessments are published daily. Argus fob Hampton Roads coking coal prices are delivered online through the Argus Metals platform and through the flagship Argus Ferrous Markets report, which offers a holistic view of global ferrous markets.
Price assessment details
What are the advantages of the Argus US coking coal price assessments?
US coking coal exports rebounded in 2017 and 2018, coinciding with a rapid shift towards index-linkage in contracts that filtered into US domestic supply agreements for 2019.
The unique characteristics of US high-volatile coking coals make them one of the only products on the seaborne market that cannot be priced in direct relation to fob Australia benchmarks. As a result, the US market has turned towards using US-specific fob Hampton Roads high-volatile indexes — an increasingly valuable tool amid the global fragmentation of the quarterly benchmark system.
Argus fob Hampton Roads coking coal prices are intelligent assessments of spot market activity received from a survey of market participants that includes transactions, bids, offers and other indications of representative and repeatable market prices. Assessments give highest priority to spot transactions. Argus’ methodology is proven, robust and created to suit the needs of the modern steel raw materials industry.
Our large, dedicated global team of experts is committed to ensuring the highest quality in price assessments while delivering actionable market news, commentary and analysis. Argus Ferrous Markets delivers unbiased price data, including over 1,600 price assessments from across global ferrous markets.
How are these assessments used?
Mining companies, trading firms, coke plants and steelmakers reference the Argus US coking coal indexes in contracts, both within the US and beyond in Europe, South America and Asia-Pacific. Banks and analysts also track our assessments and rely on them as crucial indicators to underpin trading patterns and market dynamics globally.
The Argus daily fob Australia index for premium hard low-volatile coking coal is used by key Japanese steelmakers in quarterly price settlements, in baskets along with other index providers — an approach that is increasingly being adopted by other market participants as they seek reliable and trusted reference points as the basis for trades.
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Key price assessments
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