ANKARA: Turkey’s November imports of bituminous thermal coal firmed almost 1% year on year to 2.642 million mt, following the highest monthly volume of Russian coal shipped to the country in three years, according to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK).
Total November sales for imported thermal coal was $211.914 million, equivalent to a monthly November average price of $80.20/mt, up from October’s monthly average of $78.61/mt.
Russian thermal coal shipments to Turkey in November jumped to their highest monthly volume since November 2012 at 1.143 million mt, a 17% rise year on year and 9% higher month on month. Average sales were priced at $94.17/mt, down from $99.14/mt during the previous month.
Colombian thermal imports into Turkey rose 23% year on year to 976,166 mt but fell 33% from October’s record high of 1.461 million mt. Colombian average sales were priced at $62.38/mt, down from $64.22/mt in October.
TUIK data showed South African thermal coal shipped to Turkey in November dropped by 47% year on year to 344,212 mt, but firmed 4% on the month. The average monthly price was $79.80/mt, up from the previous month’s $72.25/mt.
Once again Mozambique shipped thermal coal into Turkey, delivering 98,004 mt in November, up from 53,181 mt in October. It was priced at $108.49/mt, down from $110/mt during the previous month. In November, Turkey received Polish thermal coal for the first time since June 2014 — the amount totaling 68,103 mt at an average sales price of $60.94/mt.
Platts assessed the November monthly average of its CIF Turkey 6,000 kcal/kg NAR 90-day price at $57.50/mt, down 50 cents month on month. The weekly CIF Turkey 6,000 kcal/kg NAR price was assessed at $54/mt Thursday, stable on the week.
Turkey’s coking coal imports in November increased 32% year on year to 526,875 mt, and up 17% month on month, TUIK data showed. Australia once more shipped the bulk of coking coal into Turkey at 263,495 mt, followed by the US, which shipped 249,570 mt. The remainder came from Colombia.
Coking coal sales amounted to $52.024 million in November, at an average sales price of $98.74/mt. Total November anthracite imports jumped to a four-month high at 71,162 mt, up 61% month on month.
