China September coal imports fall 6% on high inventories, Indonesia supply constraints
BEIJING - China, the world's largest buyer of coal, cut its September imports by 6% from a year earlier, customs data showed on Wednesday, as solid domestic inventories reduced demand while export constraints in Indonesia, a key supplier, tightened availability.
September's total of 43.37-million metric tons was down from a year earlier but up from 42.09-million metric tons in
August.
"(The) inventory level at coastal power-generating companies is higher than previous years mainly owing to less cooling demand due to a relatively cool summer," said Penny Chen, senior director at Fitch Ratings.
China's fossil-fuelled power generation fell 4.3% in August from a year earlier, the most recent statistics bureau data showed, as rising hydropower, nuclear and renewable output cut into coal's share.
Supply-side factors in top supplier Indonesia also played a role, said Jenny Huang, senior director at Fitch Ratings.
"Ongoing RKAB-related production planning and approval adjustments have affected export availability, while low river water levels in [Indonesia's] Kalimantan also disrupted coal logistics."
All miners in Indonesia are required to submit an annual production plan, or RKAB, for approval by the government, which sets output quotas.
In the first nine months of the year, China's coal imports rose 2.2% to 353.54-million tons, the data showed.
Shipments surged in June and July after a deadly accident at Shanxi's Liushenyu mine in May prompted widespread safety inspections in the key coal-producing province.
With many mines suspending output, buyers turned to imports to fill the gap, temporarily swelling imports.
Article Enquiry
Email Article
Save Article
Feedback
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
The Aluminium Federation of South Africa (AFSA), is the voice of the South African aluminium industry.
VISIT SHOWROOM
Roytec Global is an international company specializing in liquid / solid and mineral separation technologies for the Mining and Industrial sectors.
VISIT SHOWROOM
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
