Japan imported 5.4mn t of coking coal in November, up by 6pc from October but down by 3pc from a year earlier, according to finance ministry data. January-November imports inched up by 1pc from a year earlier to 58.27mn t.
US shipments nearly doubled on the month to 439,810t in November, despite being 10pc lower from a year earlier. Shipments from the largest supplier Australia increased by 32pc to 3.19mn t in November from October's 2.41mn t and up by 6pc from a year earlier. But Indonesia arrivals fell by 41pc from a month earlier to 865,956t after heavy rainfall across Indonesia's main coal-producing region of Kalimantan resulted in production and logistics disruptions. Japan's November crude steel production losses occurred as a shortage of parts continued to pose weigh on domestic carmakers.
Seaborne coking coal prices ended November at $317/t fob on tepid buying interest in major consumer regions, a decline of $86.25/t or 21pc from October. The Argus spot price assessment for premium low-volatile hard coking coal averaged $370/t fob Australia in November, down by 7pc from $397.63/t in October.
Japan's metallurgical coke imports surged to 235,437t in November from October's three-month low of 146,064t. November imports were an increase of 61pc from October and a sevenfold increase from a year earlier. Almost all of Japan's met coke imports came from China.
