China as a country that has the largest steel manufacturer in the world, maybe next year will face competition with Japan and South Korea for coking coal. This year China's coking coal imports increased 12-fold. Increased import of coking coal for the Chinese government's policy to close some coal mines that are not considered safe in the process of mining exploration.Advisor of China Association of Coal Distribution, said, "Domestic demand for coking coal will rise moderately next year, while global demand can be obtained more quickly, intensifying the competition."
Estimated coking coal prices have risen high enough in between 23 percent to 38 percent in 2010. The increase in Coking coal prices will be difficult for a steel plant in some countries to achieve the production target next year.
Zhang Bochun, secretary general of Hebei Coking & Chemical Industry Association, said, "China does not have enough domestic supply to meet rising demand from steelmakers. China's steel plant will" compete with foreign steel companies for supply of coking coal next year. "
Intense Competition
Import demand by China, the world's coking coal buyers after Japan's largest, will rise 5.6 percent to 38 million metric tons next year from an estimated 36 million tons this year, led by Macquarie analyst Jim Lennon said in a December 15 report. Domestic coal prices in the nation could rise 14 percent next year, Citigroup Inc. said in a December 4 report.
Japan's purchases could jump 14 percent to 58 million tons, and South Korea will demand rose 17 percent to 21 million tons next year, Macquarie said.
"BHP and other suppliers can add exports to Japan and South Korea because the demand to take it," said Zhang Weifang, a Shanghai-based analyst of Mysteel.com. "Chinese people may have to pay the spot price higher, compared with their foreign competitors who are willing to pay the contract price is lower."
China will demand more high quality hard coking coal in the future as it expands factory, BHP Billiton said in a slide presentation in September. Nation this year "appears" to fill the gaps coking coal demand, the world's largest mining company said.
Baosteel, JFE
JFE Steel Corp, Japan's second-largest producer, will invest 50 billion yen ($ 555 million) in an Australian coal mine owned by QCoal Pty, the largest investment in coal, Akira Suzuki, general manager of the raw materials department, yesterday.
Baosteel Group Corp., China's largest producer, in October received approval from Australia to buy 15 percent stake in Aquila Resources Ltd. for A $ 285 million ($ 253 million). Baosteel may ask the Chinese partners to assist the development of coal resources in Aquila, Xu Lejiang Chairman said December 3.
The Chinese government began closing small coal mines in 2008 to improve their safety record after a worker was killed in 3770 in 2007, making the most deadly mines in the world. China produced 705.1 million tons of coking coal last year, according to Beijing Antaike Information Development Co.






