US coking coal mining firms were put in a position of running up high inventories at the start of the third quarter.

The Queensland government will fast track approvals for Switzerland-based mining firm Glencore's A$1.5mn ($1bn) Valeria thermal and coking coal mine, as it seeks to boost the state's economy in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Japan's Tokyo Steel announced its sixth increase for ferrous scrap prices this month, effective on 13 June, as its previous rises failed to boost scrap flow to some mills.

The UK economy suffered its biggest monthly contraction on record in April, with the country's GDP shrinking by a fifth during the first full month of its Covid-19 lockdown.

UK-South African mining firm Anglo American has restarted its 6.5mn t/yr Moranbah North coking coal mine in Queensland, Australia, four months after a seam collapse forced its closure.

Iron ore concentrate floating prices were flat this week as buyers remain price sensitive on high-grade ores following gains in the underlying 65pc fines index.

France's manufacturing demand fell sharply again in April, induced by the nationwide lockdown to contain the Covid-19 outbreak.

Vehicle sales in China increased by 14.5pc in May from a year earlier, in only the second year-on-year increase since June 2018.