Japan's coking coal imports are at three-year high

During August, Japan received approximately 5.98 million metric tons of coking coal, which was a significant 19% increase compared to the previous month and a substantial 27% increase compared to the same period in the previous year, as reported by Japan's finance ministry. In the first eight months of the year (from January to August), Japan imported a total of 42.4 million metric tons of coking coal, marking a 3.6% increase compared to the same period in the previous year.

More specifically, coking coal imports from Australia in August reached a two-year high at 3.27 million metric tons, showing a remarkable 38% increase compared to the previous month and a substantial 42% increase compared to the previous year. Additionally, shipments from the United States doubled compared to the previous month, reaching 840,000 metric tons, and nearly tripled compared to the

previous year. However, imports from Indonesia partially offset this growth, with a 17% decrease compared to the previous month and a 13% decline compared to the previous year, totaling 1.17 million metric tons in August.