Talk around fourth quarter pricing continues to center on prices under $200/tonne

摘要

Assessments as to where the next metallurgical coal quarterly benchmark price will settle have changed considerably of late, and speculation about the potential new number does not favor suppliers.It wasn't too long ago that global coking coal demand, while not outstanding, was believed to be strong enough to prevent the next quarterly benchmark from dipping below the $200/metric tonne mark.The popular sentiment seemed to be that a decline from the current $225/tonne to maybe $215/tonne was in the works. As spot market deals began to slip into the $180/tonne range, however, the new estimate began to fall closer to $205-210/tonne.Now the fear among sellers is the number might plunge into the dreaded $190s.