Turkey: Coal Imports Down 20% Y-o-Y in Q3 CY19

Turkish coal imports have fallen 20% on the year to 9.41 MnT during the third-quarter of CY19, as a consequence of hefty decline in non-coking coal intake. Data provided by customs indicate that the country had imported 11.82 MnT coal in the year-ago period.

Import volume had also come down from the previous quarter, falling 2% Q-o-Q from 9.56 MnT noted in Q2 CY19.

Turkey had started the third quarter on a weaker note, by recording its lowest monthly total for CY19 in July. However, intake was gradually strengthened by a higher sourcing from Colombia and Russia later on.

Apparently, coal imports marked almost stable m-o-m at 3.44 MnT in Sep’19, was comparatively higher than that attained at the beginning of Q3 CY19.

In the first 9-months of CY19 (Jan-Sep’19), Turkish coal imports have reached 28.84 MnT, down 11% Y-o-Y from 32.58 MnT noted in the year-ago period.

Grade-wise Coal Imports:
Imports taken by the country had witnessed decline across all the major coal grades during the third quarter period.

Turkish import of non-coking coal was down 18% on the year to 7.12 MnT in Q3 CY19.

Intake of coking coal was recorded relatively flat y-o-y, noted at 1.45 MnT in Q3 CY9 as against 1.48 MnT in Q3 CY18.

Source: Turkish customs
Quantity in MnT

Major Coal Exporters:
Colombia remained the largest coal supplier to Turkey in the third-quarter. However, export volume had fell 15% Y-o-Y to 4.15 MnT in Q3 CY19, which was also marked 2% lower on the quarter from 4.24 MnT in Q2 CY19.

Russian coal exports decreased 16% Y-o-Y to 3.36 MnT in Q3 CY19, but had increased 19% on the quarter from 2.83 MnT in Q2 CY19.

Australia emerged as the third-largest coal, supported by a relatively strong appetite for coking coal in Turkey. Export volume recorded two-fold increase on the year to 0.86 MnT in Q3 CY19, which was also up 56% Q-o-Q from 0.55 MnT in Q2 CY19.