ANKARA: Turkey’s February bituminous thermal coal imports dropped 8.5% year on year, but rose 0.2% from January’s five-month low to 2.28 million mt, according to data from the Turkish statistical Institute (TUIK) Friday. Colombia continued to be the largest shipper of thermal coal to Turkey in February at 1.13 million mt, down 15% year on year and month on month. Russia trailed behind at 908,253 mt, up 6% on-year and 18% from January’s eight-month low. Thermal coal imports from South Africa fell 49% on-year to 158,782 mt, but climbed 67% on the month. Shipments from Iran at 38,910 mt were more than triple January’s 11,611 mt and up from nothing during the same month of 2016.
According to the data, Turkey’s total purchases in February for imported thermal coal were $198.09 million, down 1% from the previous month’s $200.62 million. This was equivalent to a monthly average price of $86.89/mt, falling from January’s $88.22/mt. Platts assessed the February monthly average of its CIF Turkey 6,000 kcal/kg NAR 90-day price at $88.50/mt, losing $2.50 on-month. Meanwhile, Turkey’s total coking coal imports in February were 529,492 mt, rising 4% on-year, but 2% lower on the month, according to the TUIK data. The country’s anthracite imports for the month were 54,316 mt, climbing 15% on-year but down 30% on-month.
