Coal prices, along with iron ore, will endure erratic price adjustments despite the global markets' rollercoaster ride and declining output in China's manufacturing, analysts and experts said.

This after Australian conglomerate Wesfarmers lowered the sales of its hard coking coal to 9 percent over the weekend, to sell its Curragh coal for $US280 ($A290) a tonne over the next three months.

Analysts and experts said the price reduction is not cause of alarm as it is not triggered by the worsening situation in world economies, but rather due to an oversupply of the commodity.

Citibank commodities analyst Daniel Hynes said he does not see coal prices, as well as and iron ore, two steel-making ingredients, greatly suffering in the next 12 months.

''I think those markets should hold up relatively well, but certainly in the face of falling sentiment in terms of Chinese growth, then prices are likely to be a little bit soft,'' the analyst said in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Earlier, coal production across Queensland suffered a slowdown after it experienced heavy rains last summer. Because of the inadequate supply, coking coal prices have been in the selling in the global market for an average of above $US300 for much of the year. Wesfarmers sold its Curragh product for $US328 between April and June.

But prices since have declined as production began to recover midyear. To address the shift, coking coal producers agreed to slash their prices. Wesfarmers' move came five weeks after fellow coal producer Anglo American plc settled to sell for $US285 its hard coking coal to Korean buyers.

Meanwhile, Wesfarmers said it is satisfied with the percentage of its coal price reduction, saying it is confident it would cover 90 percent of coal production during the quarter.

Coal and iron ore prices are closely being monitored in the world market, after a range of other commodities suffered significant price falls in recent weeks. Even gold, a supposedly safe haven for investors in times of fiscal crisis experienced a setback.

But coal and iron ore prices continue to prove its buoyancy, regardless of slowing steel production in China.