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Anglo American 3Q iron ore output up, met coal down

  • Spanish Market: Coking coal, Metals
  • 24/10/24

UK-South African mining firm Anglo American boosted iron ore production on the quarter and year in July-September, driven by record output from Brazil's Minas-Rio facility.

But coking coal output was down after a fire at Australia's 5mn t/yr Grosvenor mine in late June.

Anglo American's 2024 iron ore production guidance is unchanged at 58mn-62mn t.

Overall Anglo American iron ore output increased by 2pc on the year, as an 11pc rise at Minas-Rio offset a 3pc decline at South Africa's Kumba site. The drop at Kumba was attributed to a change in a third party's logistical capacity.

Realised prices were 3pc below the market benchmark at Minas-Rio, which the firm attributes to a large volume of sales being priced on a provisional basis. Iron ore from Kumba averaged a 64pc Fe content and priced 4pc above a 62pc Fe fines benchmark.

Anglo American's 2024 coking coal production guidance remains 14mn-15.5m t, after July's downward adjustment. Third-quarter output was down by 6pc on the year, at 4.1mn t, after the fire at Grosvenor in June. Third-quarter production at other sites rose by 3pc on the year. January-September output was 8pc up on the year, at 11.2mn t.

Coking coal sales fell by 7pc to 4mn t following the drop in production. Pricing was comparable to index levels at $253/t, the company said, an improvement from the 93pc year-to-date price realisation.

Damage at Grosvenor was less severe than expected, Anglo American said, and the firm aims to sign an agreement covering the sale of its coking coal assets in the next few months. Australian coal producer New Hope, Chinese-owned Australian producer Yancoal and Australia's M Resources are among those interested in Anglo American's five Queensland coking coal mines.

Anglo American Q3 2024 results
Q3 2024Q2 2024±% Q2 2024Q3 2023±% Q3 2023
Iron ore output
Total15.715.61.015.41.0
Kumba9.59.23.09.2-2.0
Minas-Rio6.36.4-2.05.65.0
Iron ore sales
Total15.216.5-8.014.7-1.0
Kumba8.89.7-9.08.9-2.0
Minas-Rio6.46.4-7.05.93.0

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08/07/25

Immigration raids pressure south Texas scrap flows

Immigration raids pressure south Texas scrap flows

Houston, 8 July (Argus) — South Texas ferrous scrap yards are facing inflow headwinds as increased efforts by US immigration officials to detain and deport non-citizens affect peddler traffic and the labor force. Several market participants speaking to Argus on condition of anonymity have reported a steep decrease in scrap inflows along the US-Mexico border in Texas since the start of President Donald Trump's second term in mid-January due to raids by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Sources surveyed by Argus estimated a 25-50pc reduction in scrap being sold to yards in south Texas as a result of the raids, but they struggled to provide a more specific volume of scrap not delivered. Peddler traffic — scrap sold to yards by the public — accounts for a considerable percentage of material acquired by yards in the region, a market participant said. Sources said that many peddlers, as well as some workers at yards, are non-citizens and risk deportation if detained by ICE. The reduction in scrap flows is much larger than what would be seen from peddlers and yard workers who have been detained by ICE or the US Customs and Border Protection agency, they said, and is likely the result of a wider pull back from peddlers, nervous over the risk detention and deportation. Several yards reliant on peddler traffic or undocumented labor have shut in recent weeks, sources familiar with the matter said. ICE has been raiding communities along the border since early in the year when President Donald Trump started his second term. The recently-passed US budget bill allocated $45bn to, in part, hiring "thousands" of new ICE and Border Protection agents. It is unclear how much scrap is sold to US scrap yards by sellers who lack US citizenship, but continued pressure on those sellers and undocumented workers could cause supply tightness and labor shortages in south Texas yards. The monthly Texas ferrous scrap trade is expected to settle today, with several mills bidding all grades flat from June settlements. By Marialuisa Rincon Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Australia's Gladstone port coal exports drop in FY25


08/07/25
08/07/25

Australia's Gladstone port coal exports drop in FY25

Sydney, 8 July (Argus) — Coal shipments out of Australia's Gladstone Port — which mainly supports coking coal mines in the northeastern state of Queensland — fell by 2.5pc on the year to 64mn t for the July 2024-June 2025 financial year. The decline was due to a mix of domestic operational and weather challenges, and subdued global steel production. Coal producers in the region faced multiple mine, rail, and port disruptions over 2024-25, beginning less than a month into the financial year. Rail operator Aurizon — which manages the lines linking Queensland's mines to Gladstone Port — closed its 100mn t/yr Blackwater and 30mn t/yr Moura lines for two weeks over July-August 2024. Gladstone Port faced its own challenges later in the year. The LNG and coal hub handled [multiple work stoppages in December]( https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2640101), during tense labour negotiations between the port's management and five worker unions. Coal and LNG exports from Gladstone fell by 9.3pc and 2pc, respectively, that month . Challenges around the port continued into 2025. Global natural resources company Glencore's Oaky Creek mine along Aurizon's Blackwater line has been shut since late-April 2025 due to a water leak from a storage facility. Another mine, US-Australian producer Coronado's Curragh mine, faced cash availability challenges for much of the year. Australian producer Whitehaven Coal, which ships coal out of a number of Queensland ports, including Gladstone, also reported reduced coal sales in January-March because of wet weather. Coal financing issues in Queensland — and the rest of Australia — will likely persist in 2025-26. Australian producer Bowen Coking Coal, which produces both thermal and coking coal at its flagship Burton mine complex, said on 3 July that it may soon need to halt or reduce production at the site, if it is unable to raise capital. The company was suspended from the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) a few days later and remains suspended. Chinese purchases of Gladstone coal also fell in the 2024-25 financial year as the country's crude steel output waned. China-based steelmakers cut production by 1.7pc on the year in January-May 2025, data from China's National Bureau of Statistic show. Accordingly, China's coal buying from Gladstone also fell 5.2pc on the year, port data showed. Demand for Gladstone coal was largely supported by Vietnamese and Taiwanese buying in 2024-25 (see table) — a trend which is expected to continue over the coming years. Vietnam-based steelmakers bought 4mn t of Gladstone coal over the fiscal year, up from 2.7mn t in 2023-24. The country's coal imports — which include both thermal and coking coal — rose to a 23-month high in May, Vietnamese customs data show. Vietnamese demand for Australian coking coal is expected to remain elevated in 2025-26, pushing up Queensland coal exports , the state government said in June. The state also expects buying from India to rise though coal shipments to the south Asian country fell by 11pc on the year for the 2024-25 financial year to 11.8mn t. By Avinash Govind Gladstone coal exports (July-June financial years) t 2024-25 2023-24 Change (%) Vietnam 4,012,532 2,706,506 48 Taiwan 3,939,110 2,956,583 33 Japan 18,063,450 18,464,123 -2.2 India 11,784,331 13,167,414 -11 China 10,201,030 10,759,961 -5.2 Total 64,291,396 65,961,612 -2.5 * Total includes other countries Source: Gladstone Ports Corporation (GPC) Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Tokyo unlikely to yield on car levy despite US pressure


08/07/25
08/07/25

Tokyo unlikely to yield on car levy despite US pressure

Tokyo, 8 July (Argus) — The Japanese government is unlikely to offer concessions to the US for an automobile deal in stalled trade talks between the countries, even after Washington announced plans to raise tariffs on Japanese imports. Each government has its own interests to defend, the country's minister for trade and industry (Meti) Yoji Muto said on 8 July, reiterating that the automobile sector is a key industry for the Japanese economy and is vital to national interests. Muto reiterated Tokyo's intention to pursue a resolution through negotiations, but without compromising its core economic priorities. This suggests that there is little space for Tokyo to accept auto tariffs imposed by the US. This comes after US president Donald Trump announced plans to impose additional tariffs of 25pc on all imports from Japan from 1 August, slightly higher than the initial rate of 24pc set in April. Trump threatened to impose an even higher levy if Tokyo moves to retaliate against the measure. "We have had years to discuss our trading relationship with Japan, and have concluded that we must move away from these long-term, and very persistent, trade deficits engendered by Japan's tariff, and non-tariff policies and trade barriers," Trump said in his official letter to the Japanese government. "Our relationship has been, unfortunately, far from reciprocal." Tokyo and Washington have held seven trade talks on the US tariff since mid-April without reaching an agreement. Japan was initially seen as a frontrunner among other US trading partners in the negotiation, but progress has stalled partly because of disagreements over the auto sector. The Trump administration has long expressed strong dissatisfaction against the imbalance in US-Japan car trade. Japan exported around 1.3mn automobile units to the US market in 2024, and only purchased 14,724 units of US vehicles during the same period, according to Japanese customs and industry group the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, respectively. Tokyo has declined to disclose the details of the ongoing negotiations, but the country's prime minister Shigeru Ishiba in mid-June reiterated that the automobile sector is vital to Japan's national interests, underscoring the car sector as a key sticking point in the trade talks. By Yusuke Maekawa and Kohei Yamamoto Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

US' Peabody extends Australian coal mine lock-out again


07/07/25
07/07/25

US' Peabody extends Australian coal mine lock-out again

Sydney, 7 July (Argus) — US coal producer Peabody Energy has extended a lock-out of workers at its Australian Metropolitan mine until late on 9 July, because of a continuing dispute with the Mining and Energy Union (MEU). MEU workers will remain barred from entering the mixed thermal, pulverised coal injection (PCI), and hard coking coal mine — which produced 1.8mn t of coal in 2024 — without pay until 9 July, the union and company confirmed on 7 July. Peabody's lock-out began on 28 June and was scheduled to end on 6 July . The company ended the action early on 3 July, but then reintroduced and extended it late on 4 July because of partial work bans. The MEU can launch an unlimited number of work stoppages and limited work bans at Metropolitan, based on a 7 June strike authorisation. The MEU and Peabody remain at odds over the use of contractors at the mine, among other issues. The two groups are scheduled to engage in a Fair Work Commission (FWC) mediation on 8 July. They have already had two FWC mediations over the dispute, said Peabody's vice-president of underground operations Mike Carter on 7 July. Peabody has also met with employees more than 10 times, he added. Metropolitan Coal remains fully committed to ongoing good faith negotiations with its workers, a Peabody spokesperson said on 7 July. MEU workers will rally outside the site early on 8 July, joined by other labour unions. The labour dispute at Metropolitan follows a series of strikes at Peabody Energy's 12mn t/yr Wilpinjong thermal coal mine in February, over a different contract negotiation. By Avinash Govind Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Eurometal conference focuses on protectionism/autarky


04/07/25
04/07/25

Eurometal conference focuses on protectionism/autarky

London, 4 July (Argus) — The themes of trade protection and greater self-sufficiency dominated discussions at Eurometal's 75th anniversary conference in Luxembourg this week, where sentiment remained distinctly downbeat. European mills are suffering from high import penetration and softening demand. Axel Eggert, director-general of European steel association Eurofer, said 128pc of traditional import flows can enter the market duty-free, while demand has fallen by 30mn t in recent years, giving imports an outsize share. In "normal" market environments, imports would decline alongside demand, rather than increase, Eggert added, suggesting domestic capacity utilisation was close to 65pc, a level at which it is difficult to turn a profit. Illustrating the difficulties of the sector, Tata Steel is axing one in three white-collar jobs and one in five blue-collar jobs, as it looks to find a more sustainable footing. Tata's Ijmuiden plant is the lowest cost slab plant in western Europe. Eurometal itself is lobbying for import measures on steel intensive goods, as demand for product sold by its members has been affected by cheaper imports of components and finished products from Asia. Eurometal represents steel distributors and importers. Its president, Alexander Julius, reiterated calls for evidence from members, and the wider supply chain, of difficulties caused by downstream imports. On the sidelines of the conference, one automotive supplier said there was no chance for European businesses to compete with Asia. He cited Chinese electric vehicles being sold at around $20,000, much cheaper than western alternatives. China's strong grip over the battery supply chain gives it an advantage that will be difficult to overcome, he said. The European Commission understands the plight of the industry and is eager to act, but executional performance is the big key, speakers and attendees said; bureaucracy in the EU and its intention to remain WTO-compliant hampers speedy implementation of policies, delegates said. Anthony de Carvalho, head of the OECD's steel unit, said policymakers are much more aware of the situation facing the industry and have real ambition to take tangible actions — one-fifth of trade measures are being circumvented, according to WTO analysis. Europe will remain less competitive than other geographies, according to Antonio Marcegaglia, head of Europe's largest coil importer, Marcegaglia. He supported the need for stricter safeguards and tariffs, but also said Europe needed to avoid isolationism, given its high energy costs and likely need to depend on imports of certain products, such as direct reduced iron. Marcegaglia said decarbonisation was an "ideological agenda" that had not fully considered the impact on industry, while also challenging the benefit such policies had on financial market participants, while leaving the actual industry hamstrung. Marcegaglia also said there will likely be big cuts in Chinese production, as the country cannot rely on low-priced exports, given increased trade barriers. Julian Verden, managing director of London trader Stemcor, remained outspoken in his support for imported product. In response to Eggert's presentation, he said the safeguard was "designed to create an ideal market for the producer" and was much too punitive, especially without real-time quota tracking. Another speaker told Argus that competitiveness at a local level is defined by the global market, and that tariffs can only be a temporary reprieve where companies should work on their own efficiency and competitiveness. By Colin Richardson Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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