Coal futures were trading around $82 a tonne in the second week of February, moving away from a one-month low of $77 a tonne as freezing temperatures across the northern hemisphere boosted thermal coal demand. Amid the coldest winter recorded since 1966, China has relaxed a soft cap on import restrictions to ease supply constraints. Beyond this weather-driven demand, a global economic recovery this year should drive a short-lived rebound in coal consumption.
