Sxcoal, a leading Chinese coal pricing and information service provider, hosted the China-Mongolia Coal Trade Conference in Bayannur, Inner Mongolia on June 24, bringing together industry participants from China and abroad to discuss market trends and cooperation opportunities.

The global energy landscape is undergoing accelerated transformation, with deepening structural shifts in energy mix and increasingly complex and volatile international coal market dynamics in supply, demand, pricing and trade flows, marked by a notable rise in uncertainties. China and Mongolia, connected by geography and longstanding bilateral ties, share a deep-rooted coal trade history that forms a key pillar of their economic cooperation. Under the new circumstances, bilateral coal trade faces both fresh challenges and emerging opportunities.

The conference aims to build a high-level, professional platform for exchange and cooperation, facilitating deeper collaboration between enterprises from both countries across coal mining, production and consumption. Through the event, companies can share critical information on global and regional coal market trends, mining, production, consumption and logistics developments, thereby identifying and capturing potential cooperation opportunities.

The agenda closely aligns with industry realities, featuring a series of practical topics including China-Mongolia coal market assessment, bilateral trade outlook, application of border port price indices, futures-spot risk management, deep coal processing, and Mongolia's trading rules, precisely targeting industry pain points, cooperation bottlenecks and development highlights.

Liu Jing, General Manager at Fenwei Digital Information Technology Co., Ltd., served as the opening moderator. On behalf of the organizers, Liu extended a warm welcome to attending leaders, experts, scholars, corporate representatives and friends from various sectors who have long supported the coal industry's development, and outlined the background and objectives of the conference.

Liu said Fenwei, as an information service provider with nearly three decades of deep involvement in the coal sector, remains committed to connecting the world through professional insights, serving the industry with critical data, supporting value creation through intellectual exchange, and aiding decision-making through high-level dialogue. She expressed sincere hope for in-depth exchanges and collaborative planning during the session.

Shi Ying, Vice chairman of the China Coal Transportation and Distribution Association, addressed the conference, analyzing opportunities and challenges facing China-Mongolia coal trade from the perspective of national coal market operations. Shi emphasized the importance of industry coordination and supply chain resilience, setting the direction for further in-depth discussions.

Wu Qian, Coking Coal & Coke head in Index Dept of Fenwei Digital Information Technology Co., Ltd., forecast China's coking coal imports would reach 126 Mt in 2026, up 5.9% year on year. She said rising domestic supply tightness would increase reliance on imported coking coal, with Mongolian coal strengthening its dominant position due to logistical advantages and price competitiveness.

Peng Zhihua, Sales Dept manager of Guoneng Coking Coal (Inner Mongolia) Co., Ltd., highlighted the potential for cross-border coking coal trade and industrial collaboration, citing complementary resources and shared interests between the two countries.

Zhang Jian, Coal Coking & Chemical Branch's deputy GM of Inner Mongolia Baogang United Steel Co., Ltd., said the Mongolian coal processing industry faces challenges from water constraints and tightening environmental regulations, and noted that intelligent and green technologies will be key to future efficiency gains.

Wang Yong, deputy GM of Inner Mongolia Nao'er International Trade (Group) Co.,Ltd., noted that greater price transparency is compressing margins for intermediaries in the traditional mine-trader-customer model. He called for a new collaborative approach where each party leverages its strengths to reduce supply chain costs and share value.

Zhang Hongyuan, Vice President of E-Commodities Holdings Limited, explained the rationale for using Mongolian coal as a hedging vehicle, citing its stable quality, alignment with delivery standards, cost certainty, high liquidity, and low default risk. He stressed that hedging must be embedded in a structured, institutional framework to ensure compliance and support long-term business goals.

Liu Yanjun, Manager of Index Dept at Fenwei Digital Information Technology Co., Ltd., presented the methodology and applications of the CCI border port price index, noting it is already used in Mongolian auction pricing rules, including the CCI Ganqimaodu Mongolia 5# and CCI Liulin 4# raw coking coal indices.

Byambadagva Bayaraa, president of the Mongolian Coal Association, shared an overview of Mongolia's coal industry and export profile. Batzaya Ochirbat, head of the Commodity Trading and Registration Dept at the Mongolian Stock Exchange, outlined the legal and regulatory framework for mineral product trading.

The conference was co-organized by the Mongolian Coal Association and supported by multiple companies. Following the conference,  a field visit will be organized to the Ganqimaodu border port and Jinquan Industrial Park on June 25, allowing participants to observe cross-border clearance, multimodal transport, and on-site operations firsthand.