Japan's coal imports totaled 14.84 million tonnes in September, falling 8.4% or 1.36 million tonnes year on year and 13.78% or 2.37 million tonnes month on month, according to data from country's Ministry of Finance (MOF).

Import price

Value of the coal imports totaled 759.79 billion yen ($5.12 billion) in September, surging 171.49% year on year but down 13.36% month on month. The average import price was calculated at 51,191.47 yen/t, up 196.39% year on year and 0.49% month on month.

By type

Thermal coal imports took the lion's share of 64% among the total in September, at 9.51 million tonnes, down 4.34% from the year prior and 22.6% month on month. The import price was calculated at 53,257.92 yen/t.

Australia was the top source of the country's thermal coal, with 7.34 million tonnes of shipments accounting for 77% of the total imports of the fuel, down 2% year on year and 9.92% from August.

Indonesia followed with 785,800 tonnes of thermal coal deliveries, with the share at 8%, jumping 77.99% on the year but slumping 50.34% on the month.

Japan's coking coal imports totaled 5.06 million tonnes, dropping 14.14% on the year but up 7.69% on the month, accounting for 34% against the total. The average import price was at 47,041.78 yen/t, jumping 159.93% from the year prior but falling 6.87% on the month.

Coking coal imports from Australia increased 1.35% on the year and jumped 36.99% on the month to 3.16 million tonnes. 20% of coking coal in September came from Indonesia, at 995,900 tonnes, down 15.06% on the year and 25.86% on the month.

Anthracite intakes totaled 276,100 tonnes, falling 25.91% from the year prior but up 18.18% from August, and that of lignite soared 66.84% year on year but ticked down 0.15% month on month to 700 tonnes.

By source

Australia, Indonesia, the U.S., Canada and Russia were the top five coal suppliers to Japan in September, with share respectively at 72%, 12%, 6%, 5% and 2%.

The share of Australian offtakes hit a record high since 2011 at least, while that of Russian coal slumped to a record low.

The island country took 72% or 10.72 million tonnes of coal from Australia, a year-on-year fall of 1% but a month-on-month rise of 0.87%. Coal imports from Indonesia were 1.78 million tonnes, rising 10.4% year on year but diving 39.1% from August.

Japan's coal imports from the U.S. increased 13.19% from a year ago and 24.8% month on month to 899,500 tonnes.

Coal imports from Canada came in at 770,600 tonnes, 8.09% higher than the year-ago level but tumbling 46.28% from August.

Japan imported 321,600 tonnes of coal from Russia in the month, the lowest figure since 2011, marking a year-on-year and month-on-month nose dive of 81.99% and 71.72%, respectively.

Accumulated import

Japan's coal imports totaled 137 million tonnes during January-September 2022, up 2.07% from a year ago; value of the imports surged 222.76% year on year to 5.42 trillion yen. The import price was averaged at 39,483.11 yen/t, jumping 216.22%.

Australia's coal shipment took up 66% with 90.2 million tonnes, a year-on-year rise of 2.74%.

Downstream market

Japan's total coke imports were 63,200 tonnes in September, down 59.45% year on year and 42.64% month on month. The coke import amounted to 4.62 billion yen, down 45.24% year on year and 44.05% month on month, the average import price was calculated at 73,199.79 yen/t, rising 35.03% year on year but falling 2.46% month on month.

Japan's coke imports from China's mainland accounted for 96% of the total with 60,600 tonnes, falling 53.98% on the year and 29.67% on the month.