PUBLISHER: Orion Market Research | PRODUCT CODE: 1882945
PUBLISHER: Orion Market Research | PRODUCT CODE: 1882945
Metallurgical Coke Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Type (Coke Breeze, Nut Coke, Foundry Coke, Blast furnaces Coke, Others) by Quality (Low Ash, Medium Ash, High Ash) by Application (Steel & Iron Manufacturing, Foundries, Chemical Industry, Glass Manufacturing, Metal and Mining, and Others), Forecast Period (2026-2035)
Industry Overview
Metallurgical coke market was valued at $21 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $28 billion by 2035, growing at a CAGR of 2.0%. In total economic terms including both captive and traded coke, the market stood at USD 200 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 265 billion by 2035. The large difference arises because nearly 90% of global coke output is produced and consumed internally by integrated steel mills, leaving only a small share available for commercial sale.
The metallurgical coke market continues to grow steadily, supported by consistent demand from the iron and steel industry, rising infrastructure development, improvements in coke production technologies and supportive government policies. According to APBI ICMA, Indonesia has shifted from being a net coke importer to becoming one of the world's largest exporters, driven by significant capacity additions and increased output. Despite India introducing import restrictions and conducting anti-dumping investigations, which affected what had been Indonesia's largest destination, Indonesia's coke shipments still increased in 2025. Statistics Indonesia reported that exports rose by 51.6 percent year on year to reach 3.72 million tons during January to July. In April, JSW Steel was approved to import 106,000 tons of Indonesian coke, exceeding the standard quota of 66,364 tons for the first half of 2025, after unused quotas from other countries were reallocated while keeping India's total import ceiling at 1.44 million tons. Indonesia also broadened its export base, with shipments to Brazil, mainland China, Australia and France rising by 183.7 percent, 230.3 percent, 205.8 percent and 132.4 percent respectively, with Brazil recording the largest volume increase of 337,400 tons.
Market Dynamics
Rising Steel Production Accelerates Growth in the Market
Steel production can occur at integrated facilities from iron ore, or at secondary facilities, which produce steel mainly from recycled steel scrap. Integrated facilities typically include coke production, blast furnaces, and basic oxygen steelmaking furnaces (BOFs), or in some cases open hearth furnaces (OHFs). Coke contributes carbon to hot metal. Carbon content in the melt is crucial for producing hot metal with the desired composition for downstream steel making. Metallurgical coke is a high-carbon fuel and reductant, essential for iron and steel production. In 2024, the world crude steel production reached 1,882.6 million tonnes (MT) as per provisional data released by World Steel Association.
World Crude Steel Production 2020 to 2023
Source: World Steel Association AISBL
Major Steel-Producing Countries 2022 and 2023
Growing Domestic Production and Innovative Processes Strengthen Argentina's Metallurgical Coke Industry
Metallurgical coke is a crucial input for steel production, and it is made from metallurgical coal through a high-temperature carbonization process. In Argentina, metallurgical coke production and consumption are essential to its steel industry, which supports the broader steel manufacturing sector. The steel industry is vital to Argentina's industrial base, including major players such as Ternium Siderar and Acindar. In Argentina, metallurgical coke production is unique. Argentina has developed a process that primarily uses petroleum coke and coal tar pitch, a method that reduces dependence on imported coke. According to US Energy information Administration, from 2013 to 2023, Argentina's metallurgical coke production grew annually by 4.3% while consumption grew by 3.9% annually.
Market Segmentation
Low Ash Metallurgical Coke: A Segment in the Market Growth
Low Ash Metallurgical Coke (LAMC) is a solid carbonaceous material obtained from destructive distillation of low ash, low sulphur Bituminous coal. It is required for metallurgical and chemical industries and is used as the primary fuel where high temperature and uniform heating is required. The industrial consumers of LAMC include integrated steel plants, industry/foundries producing ferro alloys, pig iron, engineering goods, chemicals, soda ash, cement industries, and zinc units. It is made of high-quality coal as raw material, through strict production process. With high strength, low impurities and other excellent characteristics, it can provide stable and reliable energy support and efficient reduction reaction environment for the metallurgical process. Effectively reduce the introduction of impurities, reduce the amount of slag generation. It helps to improve the purity and recovery of metal. In the smelting process of metal pollution is small, can effectively improve product quality.
The global metallurgical coke market is further divided by region, including North America (the US and Canada), Europe (the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, and the Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, ASEAN Countries, and the Rest of Asia-Pacific), and the Rest of the World (the Middle East & Africa, and Latin America).
Asia-Pacific Is Leading the Global Metallurgical Coke Market
Asia-Pacific lead the market driven by growth in steel and iron production majorly in China and India. According to Ministry of Steel, in India, Crude Steel production expanded from 109.137 million Tons (MT) in 2019-20 to 144.299 MT in 2023-24. Crude steel production in 2023-24 registered a growth of 13.4% over 127.197 MT in 2022-23. This steady rise in steel manufacturing significantly boosts the consumption of metallurgical coke across the region. Moreover, large-scale infrastructure projects are also fueling steel consumption, thus increasing the need for metallurgical coke. Major construction projects underway in China for 2024 include the Chongqing Smart City Initiative, the Beijing Daxing International Airport expansion, and the Shanghai Lingang Science and Technology City development.
The major companies operating in the global metallurgical coke market include China Risun Group, Shanxi Coking Coal Group, Shanxi Meijin Energy, Tata Steel Limited, ArcelorMittal South Africa Limited, SunCoke Energy Inc., Jastrzebska Spolka Weglowa S.A. (JSW), and Nippon Coke & Engineering Co., Ltd., among others. Market players are leveraging partnerships, collaborations, mergers, and acquisition strategies for business expansion and innovative product development to maintain their market positioning.
Recent Developments