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China August thermal coal imports down 24.4% on year at 7.2 million mt

China imported 7.2 million mt of thermal coal in August, down 24.4% on the year but up 1% from July to a four-month high, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs.

The volume included 5.16 million mt of bituminous and 2.04 million mt of sub-bituminous coal, but excluded imports of lower CV lignite material.

The largest shipper of thermal coal to China in August was Australia at 3.71 million mt, although the volume dropped 35% on the year and also fell 7% from July to a six-month low.

China imported 2.38 million mt of Indonesian thermal coal in August, down 16% from the same month in 2014 but up 12% on the month to a four-month high.

Thermal coal imports from Russia rose 21% on the year to 961,468 mt, while there were no shipments from South Africa or Colombia and just 38 mt from the US.

Total lignite imports for the month slipped 19% from July to 4 million mt, of which 3.76 million mt was from Indonesia.
Source: Platts