- Ultratech Cement continues as top importer
- Prices drop m-o-m in May, US tags fall steeper
India’s pet coke imports fell by 8.3% to 1.1 million tonnes (mnt) in May 2025 from 1.2 mnt in April 2025, BigMint data shows. The decline was led by reduced shipments from Saudi Arabia, even as inflows from the US improved.
Load country trends
The US remained the largest exporter, with volumes rising to 0.6 mnt in May from 0.5 mnt in April. Saudi shipments fell to 0.2 mnt from 0.3 mnt. Venezuela supplied 0.1 mnt, down from 0.2 mnt previously, while Oman maintained stable volumes at 0.1 mnt. The UAE did not ship any cargo in May after contributing 0.1 mnt in April.
Key importers
Ultratech Cement remained the top importer, receiving 0.3 mnt in May, lower than 0.5 mnt in April. Reliance Industries, JK Cement, and Shri Cement each imported 0.1 mnt, maintaining parity with April levels. Ramco Cement saw a slight uptick, importing 0.1 mnt in May after no imports in April.
Major unloading ports
Kandla continued to lead with 0.4 mnt in May, though slightly lower than 0.5 mnt in April. Visakhapatnam handled 0.3 mnt in May, up from 0.1 mnt previously, indicating a growing preference among importers.
Prices decline m-o-m in May’25
US-origin pet coke prices averaged $101.5/tonne (t) CNF Kandla in May, down by $7.5/t from $109/t in April. At Vizag, US-origin prices fell to $103.5/t in May from $111/t in April, marking a similar decline.
Saudi-origin prices saw a modest correction. CNF Mundra offers averaged $114/t in May, down by $3/t from $117/t in April. At Vizag, Saudi-origin prices declined to $116/t in May from $119/t in the previous month.
Latest price trends w-o-w
Imported pet coke prices remained stable w-o-w, with US-origin offers at $106-108/t CFR and Saudi-origin at $109-111/t CFR. Demand was sluggish, but supply tightness and rising US freights kept offers firm. Looking ahead, the onset of monsoon across several regions in June is expected to reduce cement demand, thereby softening pet coke requirement from the cement sector, one of its major consumers.
Outlook
India’s imported pet coke imports may remain at these levels in the coming months, due to the onset of monsoon. Imports in April-May totalled 2.2 mnt, with the US contributing half of the volume. While prices have corrected recently, buyers are adopting a just-in-time strategy, keeping purchases in check. Going forward, freight trends, regional price gaps, and port-side stock levels will influence June-July buying interest and pricing behaviour.
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