Exports top 30% of Raspadskaya coal sales
MOSCOW. April 1 (Interfax) - Raspadskaya , a coking coal miner controlled by steelmaker Evraz, is currently shipping more than 30% of its product to export markets, the company's strategic development director, Alexander Andreyev said in a conference call on Friday.
The fourth quarter of 2012, exports amounted to 21% of sales.
Andreyev said that the most challenging price situation at present is on the Chinese and Ukrainian markets. However, the share of shipments to the Russian market has not increased, despite the fact that the company readily responds to customer needs, and Raspadskaya does not expect this market to grow much.
"We intend to increase the share of contracts and shipments at international benchmarks. At present we are still continuing negotiation work, completing technological tests of our coal," Andreyev said.
He said that contracts for April have been signed with all Russian steelmakers, with the price remaining unchanged at $101-$103 per tonne FCA Mezhdurechensk (3,100 rubles per tonne for semi-hard concentrate). The world benchmark price for coking coal was up to $172 from $165 in the previous quarter.
For shipments to China, the price is $151$153 FOB Far East, Andreyev said.
"The issue of the Chinese market is the main issue there is today. Demand is not only not uniform by month, but also by week. Today news indicates that warehouses are full starting in April. This is speculative in nature. But we currently have the ability, by establishing a logistics chain and quickly delivering coal to ports, to use changes in the situation," Andreyev said.
Raspadskaya is also carrying out trial shipments of coal to Japan and Korea. The company sees potential in the Japanese market, since about 5-10% of Raspadskaya's coal can be used in the charge at any steel or coke chemical plant in the country.
