Anthracite prices in China's main production regions posted a stable trajectory as a whole during the past week as most end-buyers only purchased coal on rigid demand.

Anthracite miners mostly maintained high operating rates as planned, providing sufficient supply to the market.

Lump anthracite demand from chemical plants mildly improved last week amid the gradual recovery of logistics. The previous snowfalls had significantly depleted the material inventory at some chemical plants, which rely on road transportation to replenish their stocks.

Slack anthracite demand was also not strong enough. Steel mills' high inventories coupled with increased blast furnace maintenance dented coal demand, which still exerted downward pressure on the anthracite prices.

The civil sector and traders were also inactive in buying anthracite.

Prevailing offers for 6,800 Kcal/kg NAR 0.5%-sulfur small-lump anthracite in Jincheng of Shanxi were at 1,150-1,240 yuan/t free-on-rail basis with VAT, down about 10 yuan/t compared to last week; and the 0.6%-sulfur 6,000 Kcal/kg NAR slack anthracite coal were at 810-860 yuan/t, ex-washplant basis with VAT.

As of December 22, Fenwei assessed the price of 7,000 Kcal/kg NAR mid-lump anthracite with 0.5% sulfur in Jincheng at 1,300 yuan/t, ex-washplant basis with VAT, unchanged from a week ago.

The price of 7,000 Kcal/kg NAR washed small lump anthracite (S 0.5%) in Jincheng was also flat at 1,250 yuan/t, ex-washplant with VAT, and that of 6,000 Kcal/kg NAR anthracite slack with 0.5% sulfur in Jincheng remained unchanged at 920 yuan/t, ex-washplant with VAT.