Soaring met and thermal markets set challenges for local producers

摘要

Globally, steel manufacturing is booming, demand is at an all-time high, and with it, demand for raw materials. Add to that the fact that steel manufacturing has been increasingly concentrated in South East Asia and China and it is understandable that met coal producers foresee a golden year - or even more - ahead. In a recent shareholder presentation, BHP Billiton's Carbon Steels Materials Group described the outlook for metallurgical coal as 'extremely tight'. Add the series of supply disruptions which have occurred worldwide over the last few months and we have what Andrew Offen, marketing director of BHP Billiton's Carbon Steel Materials division describes as 'a perfect storm'.