DAILY: China's thermal coal market holds steady with upward bias

China's thermal coal market at northern transfer ports stabilized on March 18, snapping the two-week decline. Sources reported emerging demand from coastal power plants as they turned away from costlier seaborne shipments, and price upticks in producing regions also lent firmer cost-side support.

On Wednesday. Mysteel assessed 5,500 kcal/kg NAR thermal coal at Yuan 733/tonne ($106.6/t) FOB northern ports with VAT, flat from a day earlier, so were 5,000 kcal/kg and 4,500 kcal/kg NAR grades, reaching Yuan 649/t and Yuan 559/t, respectively. Though typically relying on seaborne cargoes, some power plants in