DAILY: China's portside benchmark thermal coal price falls below threshold

Spot thermal coal prices at China's northern ports continued to decline on December 5, with supply-demand imbalance showing no signs of easing yet. While wintry weather later this week may lend some support, the actual impact remains uncertain.

On Friday, Mysteel assessed 5,500 kcal/kg NAR thermal coal at Yuan 796/tonne ($112.6/t), FOB northern ports with VAT, down Yuan 7/t from the previous day. This marked the first time the benchmark slipped below the threshold of Yuan 800/t since November 6. According to some market sources, the price drop