Metals: ARGUS US coking coal price assessments

The ARGUS US coking coal price assessments

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 weekly on Tuesday, but will become daily March 2019. 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.

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 provides accurate and unbiased pricing, including more than 150 price assessments from the global ferrous markets.

Users of the ARGUS US coking coal price assessments

US coking coal indexes are referenced in contracts by mining companies, trading firms, coke plants and steelmakers, both within the US and across Europe, South America and Asia-Pacific. They are widely tracked by banks and analysts as crucial price indicators underpinning 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.