Japan imported 13.13 million tonnes of coal in March, a 6.1% decrease year on year, showed the preliminary data from the Ministry of Finance on April 17.
The import value amounted to 385.48 billion yen ($2.49 billion), falling 35.1% from a year ago, data showed.
In March, coal imports from the U.S. declined 18.5% from a year ago to 727,000 tonnes, with the value down 32.6% to 22.79 billion yen. Russian coal receipts slumped 83% compared with the previous year to 110,000 tonnes, which was worth 3.58 billion yen, an 82.3% year-on-year decline.
Japan imported 7.64 million tonnes of thermal coal during the same month, down 10.4% on the year, with import value at 180.17 billion yen, tumbling 50.8% year on year.
Thermal coal intakes from the U.S. were 159,000 tonnes, down 69.2% from a year earlier; value plunged 87% on the year to 3.07 billion yen.
Meanwhile, the country imported 63,000 tonnes of thermal coal from Russia, 89.8% lower than the same month last year, with the value down 91.4% to 1.64 billion yen.
In March, Japan imported 2.42 million tonnes of coal from Asia countries, rising 6.5% on the year, with the value down 45.2% on the year to 58.07 billion yen. Thermal coal imports were 1.14 million tonnes, up 20.7% from a year ago; value dropped 38.2% year on year to 24.95 billion yen.
Imports from ASEAN countries amounted to 2.38 million tonnes, up 5.1% year on year, with the value down 46.4% to 5.66 billion yen. Thermal coal intakes increased 20.7% from a year earlier to 1.14 million tonnes, which was valued at 24.95 billion yen, down 38.2%.
Japan also imported 5.55 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas during the month, down 3% from the preceding year; value fell 9.5% on the year to 532.62 billion yen.
(Writing by Riley Liang Editing by Harry Huo)
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