India’s Sep’26 coal imports rebound as western ports draw bulk of non-coking cargoes

• September coal and coke imports are indicated at 19.87 mnt, 5% above Aug
• Gujarat and Maharashtra ports receive 63% of non-coking coal lineup

India’s coal and coke imports are indicated at 19.87 mnt in September 2026, compared with 18.9 mnt in August, according to a vessel lineup compiled through 25 September. Non-coking and coking coal lead the increase. Pet coke also rebounds, while PCI and met coke remain below their August levels.

Non-coking coal: western and southern ports dominate

Non-coking coal reaches an indicated 12.09 mnt, up about 5% from August and accounting for 61% of September’s coal and coke lineup. Indonesia supplies 7.07 mnt, South Africa 2.26 mnt and the US 1.03 mnt. Russia adds 0.89 mnt and Mozambique 0.69 mnt.

Ports in Gujarat and Maharashtra receive 7.62 mnt, or 63%, of the non-coking volume. Southern ports account for another 3.32 mnt. This concentration is notable because India’s principal coal-producing belt lies in Odisha, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. For buyers on the west and south coasts, the distance and cost of moving domestic coal inland can be important sourcing considerations.

JSW Steel appears against approximately 0.40 mnt of South African coal across Vizag, Mangalore and Jaigarh. UltraTech, Shree Cement and Chettinad Cement together receive about 0.59 mnt of US coal, more than half of that origin’s indicated non-coking volume.

Coking coal rises; PCI remains subdued

Coking coal imports are indicated at 5.90 mnt, about 11% above August. Australia contributes 3.29 mnt and Russia 1.60 mnt. JSW Steel, SAIL and Tata Steel together receive 4.36 mnt, roughly three-quarters of the category.

PCI is indicated at 0.59 mnt, around 34% below August’s 0.9 mnt. Russia supplies nearly nine-tenths of the September lineup, while Paradip receives about half the volume.

Pet coke rebounds on cement demand

Pet coke imports rise to an indicated 0.90 mnt, from 0.60 mnt in August. Vizag, Kandla and Bedi lead the discharge ports, and cement producers dominate the named receivers.

The four named cement producers receive about 0.54 mnt combined, or 59% of September’s indicated pet coke volume.

Reliance Industries is associated with refining and energy, while Rain CII operates in carbon products.

October pipeline: non-coking coal leads the early lineup

The September total remains sensitive to vessel timing: 5.75 mnt was still pending in the lineup, including 1.14 mnt on vessels dated 24 September or earlier. Excluding that older pending tonnage would put September’s indicated volume at 18.73 mnt, close to August’s total.

Looking ahead, the workbook lists 2.21 mnt of October-dated cargoes as of 25 September. Non-coking coal accounts for 1.29 mnt, followed by coking coal at 0.67 mnt, pet coke at 0.13 mnt and PCI at 0.11 mnt. About 1.49 mnt is scheduled for the first seven days, making the opening week the clearest part of the pipeline.

The lineup becomes thinner later in October, with dates extending to 27 October. Further vessel nominations will determine the full-month volume, but the cargoes already visible suggest that non-coking coal will remain the main driver of imports at the start of the month.