The price of coal in the global market has not shown an upward trend in the past week. In today’s trading, Tuesday, May 20, the price of coal in the ICE Newcastle market touched US$98.122 per ton, a decrease from the previous day’s price of US$99.543 per ton.
According to data from Trading Economics, coal prices have remained relatively stagnant since early 2025. Over the course of this year, the futures contract price of coal has dropped by approximately 20 percent.
This decline is largely driven by weakening global demand, especially from China, one of the largest coal consumers in the world. At the same time, global coal supply continues to rise.
Indonesia set a production record in 2024, reaching 836 million tons, which exceeded the original target by 18 percent. China also plans to boost domestic coal output by 1.5 percent this year, aiming for 4.82 billion tons.
Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) previously set the reference coal price, or HBA, at US$110.38 per ton for coal with a calorific value of 6,322 GAR. This marks a decrease from the previous period’s HBA of US$121.15 per ton.
For coal type I (5,300 GAR), the price is set at US$76.62 per ton. Coal type II (4,100 GAR) is priced at US$50.58 per ton, while coal type III (3,400 GAR), which has the lowest calorific value, is valued at US$35.42 per ton.
Compared to May’s previous HBA, this pricing marks a notable shift. The 6,322 GAR coal price dropped by US$10.77 per ton. HBA I fell by US$4.18 per ton. HBA II saw a slight increase of US$0.15, while HBA III rose by US$0.69 per ton.
The trend is also evident in the international market. Trading Economics reported that, as of Thursday, May 15, 2025, the Newcastle benchmark coal price stood at US$99.824 per ton. This figure hovers near the US$100 mark, after hitting a four-year low of US$93.7 per ton on April 23.