Oversupply concerns weigh heavily on the steel sector in China as some 80 million metric tons of fresh capacity will hit the market this year amid dwindling demand due to the COVID-19 epidemic, an industry expert said.

Qu Xiuli was elected as Secretary General of China Iron and Steel Association.

Trade unions in the UK suggest they will not allow the end of blast furnace steel production.

Japan's iron ore imports fell further in June, as domestic steel mills maintained output cuts under pressure from lower manufacturing sector demand because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Chinese-Australian coal firm Yancoal expects to produce 38mn t of saleable coal in 2020.

Sections prices have fallen as low as £430-440/t delivered, according to buy-side sources, despite rises in scrap and iron ore.

US coking coal prices held mostly steady at the end of this week, with European demand muted for the third quarter.

Kevin Dempsey has taken over as interim chief executive at the steel industry's trade group, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).