Taiwan: Coal Imports Down 17% M-o-M in Nov’17

Monthly coal Imports by the country has fallen to the lowest total for CY17, as per the trade data provided by Taiwan customs.

Taiwan had imported 4.7 MnT coal in Nov’17, which was 17% lower on the month compared with 5.65 MnT in Oct’17. Moreover, imports had also dropped 11% Y-o-Y from 5.31 MnT in Nov’17.

Coal imports by the country have been declining on the monthly basis since Aug’17. However, the total import in CY17 has witnessed a growth of 6% to 64.24 MnT during Jan’17-Nov’17 period, compared with 60.81 MnT during the same period in 2016; thereby the country is all set to cross its previous year import total of 65.83 MnT.

Grade-wise Coal Imports:
Taiwan chiefly imports Bituminous coal, which had a share of more than 90% in the total coal quantity. During the month of Nov’17, Bituminous coal imports had decreased 19% M-o-M to the lowest monthly total in CY17.

Bituminous coal import stood 4.41 MnT during the month, the remaining coal quantity comprised of Met coke, Anthracite, Pet coke and other grades.

Source: Taiwan Customs
Quantity in MnT

Major Coal Exporters:
Australia remained the largest coal exporter to Taiwan, followed by Indonesia and Russia.

Australia had supplied 1.74 MnT coal in Nov’17, down 36% M-o-M from 2.73 MnT coal in Oct’17. Exports were also 47% lower on the year compared with 3.29 MnT in Nov’16.

Indonesia too had reported a fall in exports both on the monthly as well as on the yearly basis in Nov’17. The country had supplied 1.17 MnT coal during the month.

Russian coal exports were also down 8% on the monthly basis to 0.66 MnT in Nov’17, but on the yearly basis coal exports from the country had increased 164% compared with 0.25 MnT in Nov’16.

Source: Taiwan Customs