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Turkey’s H1 thermal coal imports jump 29% year on year to 12.9 mil mt

Turkey’s imports of bituminous thermal coal in the first half of 2015 surged 29% year on year to 12.931 million mt, according to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute.

Total H1 sales for imported thermal coal were $1.089 billion, with no comparable year-ago figure, equivalent to an H1 average price of $84.28/mt.

During the first six months of 2015, South African shipments to Turkey more than doubled to 2.972 million mt while coal from Ukraine dropped to 54,999 mt compared to 532,310 mt during H1 2014.

The main two suppliers of thermal coal to Turkey during the first half of the year were Colombia with 5.179 million mt, an 11% year-on-year rise, and Russia with 4.313 million mt, up 27%.

In June alone, Turkey imported 2.163 million mt of thermal coal, a 20% rise year on year and the highest monthly volume since February.

Total June sales for imported coal were $175.268 million, equivalent to a monthly June average price of $81.01/mt, up from May’s $165.1 million with an average price of $79.48/mt.

Colombian thermal coal shipments soared to the highest monthly level on record at 1.143 million mt, up 20% year-on-year and 43% higher from May.

The last time Colombian shipments surpassed the 1 million mt mark was in October 2013, when Turkey imported 1.118 million mt of Colombian coal.

The monthly average cost of Colombian thermal coal in June was $68.93/mt, down from May’s $70.68/mt.

Turkey’s Russian imports in June were at their highest since January at 781,551 mt, up 3% month on month but down 18% year on year.

The average sales price was $98.24/mt in May, up from $96.39/mt the previous month.

In contrast, South African June shipments dropped to a 10-month low of 171,002 mt, doubling year-on-year but shedding 26% from May, with an average sales price of $73.35/mt, up from May’s $69.34/mt.

Mozambique sent its highest volume of thermal coal in June at 54,157 mt, up from May’s 19,556 mt and April’s 30,000 mt. April’s shipment was its first to Turkey since March 2013.

The Mozambican coal shipment cost around $112/mt, stable for the third consecutive month.

Platts assessed the May monthly average of its CIF Turkey 6,000 kcal/kg NAR 90-day price at $64/mt, down 50 cents month on month.

The weekly CIF Turkey 6,000 kcal/kg NAR price was assessed at $64/mt Friday, down 50 cents week on week.

COKING COAL H1 IMPORTS DOWN 2% ON-YEAR

Turkey’s H1 coking coal imports in May fell 2% year on year to 2.674 million mt, TUIK data showed.

In June, Turkish coking coal imports were 470,093 mt, 8% higher on-year but falling 21% from May.

The US shipped 110,124 mt in June, followed by Canada at 168,095 mt and 153,860 mt from Australia.

Anthracite imports during the first half of the year were 352,066 mt were 71,544 mt, 15% lower from the same period in 2014.

June anthracite imports were 85,194 mt, down 12% on-year, with the majority of the volume coming from Russia at 65,275 mt.
Source: Platts