South Korea: Coal Imports Up 10% M-o-M in Mar’18

South Korean coal imports totaled 12.7 MnT in Mar’18, rising 10% M-o-M against 11.57 MnT in Feb’18. The coal volume imported by the country was also 4% higher on the year compared with 12.22 MnT in Mar’17.

As per the data provided by South Korean customs, the country has imported 37.42 MnT coal during Jan’18-Mar’18, which was slightly down on the year-on year basis, compared with 38.39 MnT in Jan’17-Mar’17.

Grade-wise Coal Imports:
South Korean import of Non-coking coal had recorded slight improvement on the month, increasing from 8.71 MnT in Feb’18 to 8.83 MnT in Mar’18. While coking coal imports had surged 57% M-o-M to 2.63 MnT in Mar’18.

The country had witnessed growth in monthly imports across all the major coal grades, except, for Met Coke, whose imports had dropped from 34,083 MT in Feb’18 to 27,016 MT in Mar’18.

Source: South Korean customs
Quantity in MnT

Major Coal Exporters:
Australia, Indonesia and Russia remained the top three coal exporters during the month, supplying 75% of the total coal volume in Mar’18.

Exports from both Australia and Russia had recovered in Mar’18, after falling in Feb’18. However, exports from Indonesia remain depressed during the month.

Australian coal exports had increased 23% M-o-M to 4.23 MnT in Mar’18, which was also 8% higher on the year compared with 3.9 MnT in Mar’17. Russian coal exports had also recorded growth on the monthly and yearly basis, were marked at 2.58 MnT in Mar’18.

Exports from Indonesia had fallen 6% M-o-M to 2.75 MnT in Mar’18, which was also 26% lower on the year compared with 3.74 MnT in Mar’17.

South Africa overtook Canada to become the fourth largest coal exporter during the month; however, both the countries had seen exports falling in Mar’18.

US, Colombia, China, Mozambique and New Zealand were the other major coal exporter during the month.

Source: South Korean Customs