MONTHLY: China's coking coal market to fluctuate in Jan

The Chinese coking coal market is expected to fluctuate in a narrow range in January, with downside pressures easing but upward strength unlikely to build notably as well, and price negotiations between coal suppliers and end-users may intensify amid market caution, according to Mysteel's new monthly report of the commodity.

A positive factor on the demand side is an anticipated uptick in hot metal production in January, as steel mills' profit margins improve and the lifting of air pollution emergency responses in some northern cities also leads to the resumption of some furnaces at local mills. This may help