China's domestic coking coal market weakened in July amid production restrictions in the country's steelmaking hub of Tangshan and four rounds of coke price cuts by a major mill.
Metal Bulletin's weekly assessment of prices for domestic hard coking coal in Shanxi delivered to Tangshan stood at 1,360-1,700 yuan ($200-250) per tonne on Friday July 27, compared with 1,390-1,750 yuan per tonne on June 29. The assessment is down 30-50 yuan per tonne due to lower coke prices and weaker demand following restrictions imposed by local authorities in Tangshan from July 10 until August 31 to cut emissions, market sources said. Cheaper coke "Coke prices have been falling since the first working day of July and the downward momentum rubbed off...