China cuts russian purchases

摘要

China reduced receipts of Russian thermal coal by 21pc on the year in the first quarter, amid an overall decline in coal imports, as the country focused on increasing domestic production. China's imports of thermal coal, including lignite, from Russia totalled 3.8mn t in January-March, down from 4.8mn t a year earlier, Chinese customs data show. Receipts from Russia in 2018 were down by 7pc on the year at 15.9mn t. Russian suppliers mainly export bituminous thermal coal with a calorific value (CV) of around NAR 4,700-5,500 kcal/ kg to China, but also ship lower-CV supply, including brown coal.