Mr Wu Chenghou senior adviser of the China Coal Transportation & Distribution Association said that "Domestic demand for coking coal will rise moderately next year, while global demand may gain faster, intensifying competition."
China's coking coal imports rose by 12 fold this year, boosting sales of BHP Billiton as the government closed smaller, unsafe mines.
According to Macquarie Securities Group, JPMorgan Chase & Co and Morgan Stanley prices may jump by between 23% and 38% in 2010, as global demand rebounds from the deepest recession since the 1930s.
Mr Zhang Bochun secretary general of the Hebei Coking & Chemical Industry Association said that "China doesn't have enough domestic supply to meet increasing demand from its steelmakers." He added that Chinese imports in 2010 may be similar to this year.
Import demand by China may rise 5.6% to 38 million tonnes in 2010 from an expected 36 million tonnes in 2009.\