A little economics, a little politics hurting worldwide met coal prices

摘要

Ernie Thrasher, CEO of Xcoal Energy & Resources, makes a persuasive argument that global economic conditions, exacerbated by political upheaval, have played a meaningful role in drawing down metallurgical coal prices. Thrasher, whose long expertise in world coal markets doesn’t need iteration, gave the keynote address last week to the Coal Association of Canada at the organization’s annual meeting in Vancouver. The Xcoal chief is known for his frank assessments of market conditions, so producers must have taken some heart from his suggestion that the global market might have hit bottom.