Pick-up in Chinese demand for US material; Indian imports drop ‘substantially’ in February

摘要

Chinese demand for US petcoke increases, while Indian buying remains subdued following increasing prices in the US Gulf Coast. According to a US-based source Chinese demand for US West Coast petcoke is overall “medium-strong,” particularly for low sulfur material. He noted the 25% tariff was entirely gone for end-users, since every one who applied received exemptions. Prices, too, have jumped on the West Coast. S&P Global Platts Assessed FOB USWC 2% at $80/mt, up $10/mt week on week, and FOB USWC 3% was assessed at $68/mt, up $8/mt from the previous Wednesday. The source also indicated CFR in China was about $104/mt, although he didn’t mention at which port. In India, the US-based source imports declined “substantially” in February.