India: Thermal coal imports rise 17% in Q1 FY’22

India’s thermal coal imports rose by 17% q-o-q in the Apr-Jun’21 period to 44.4 mn t, CoalMint’s vessel line-up data reveals. Imports from South Africa, Australia, the U.S. and Russia recorded a significant surge in Q1 FY’22. After thermal coal prices witnessed a decline in Feb’21, following peak winter demand, several importers had booked imported coal for April and May arrivals. However, due to lockdown restrictions owing to the second-wave of Covid-19 in India, along with escalated freight rates, imported coal arrivals trended lower in June.