DAILY: China's thermal coal picks up as demand increases

China's domestic thermal coal market posted a modest rebound on December 30, snapping a month-long downturn, as buying interest revived ahead of the three-day New Year's day holiday.

On Tuesday, Mysteel assessed 5,500 kcal/kg NAR thermal coal at Yuan 686/tonne ($98.1/t), FOB northern ports with VAT, unchanged from a day earlier. The 5,000 kcal/kg NAR grade rose Yuan 2/t to Yuan 587/t, while the 4,500 kcal/kg NAR gained Yuan 3/t to Yuan 493/t. The price uptick was not