Turkey: Coal Imports Down 6% Y-o-Y in H1 CY19

Coal imports by Turkey have fallen 6% on the year to 19.43 MnT during the first half period of CY19 (Jan-Jun’19), as per the data provided by Turkish customs. The country had imported 20.76 MnT coal in the corresponding period of CY18.

Although, imports in Jun’19 rose slightly m-o-m to attain a 5-month high total of 3.4 MnT driven by a surge in coal intake from Colombia, but it was still 2% lower on the year from 3.48 MnT noted in Jun’18.

Notably, except for Mar’19, Turkey had witnessed a fall in imports y-o-y in each month of the half year period.

Grade-wise Coal Imports
Turkish imports of Coking coal increased 2% Y-o-Y to 2.71 MnT in H1 CY19, which had recorded the only rise among the major coal/coke products.

Over the same period, imports of non-coking coal had fell 2% Y-o-Y to 14.07 MnT, as the country pushes bulk of its electricity production from renewable and local resources.

Pet Coke shipments, the third-largest traded coal commodity, was down 33% Y-o-Y to 1.9 MnT, along with Anthracite which decreased 17% on the year to 0.4 MnT in H1 CY19.

Source: Turkish customs
Quantity in MnT

Major Coal Exporters:

Imposition of tax on US coal significantly hampered Turkish coal sourcing from the country which had fell 43% on the year to 1.93 Mnt in H1 CY19 as against 3.37 MnT in H1 CY18.

Colombia remained the largest coal supplier to Turkey, however, exports were marked 11% lower on the year at 8.21 MnT.

Russia was the second-largest supplier in the period, with exports to Turkey rising 3% Y-o-Y to 5.85 MnT in H1 CY19. Over the period, Australian coal supplies had doubled to 1.3 MnT, as the country emerged as the preferred source for Turkish coking coal demands in the wake of tax imposition on US coal.

Source: Turkish customs | Quantity in MnT