RBCT’s reliance on India increases in March

摘要

Shipments from Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) in South Africa have fallen by 3pc year on year, but increased demand from India offset a sharp drop in demand from Turkey, shipping data show. RBCT shipped 6.3mn t in March, down by 3.3pc from the 6.5mn t it shipped last year, as a sharp fall in exports to Europe and the Mediterranean region was broadly offset by increased demand from South Asia and North Africa. Sales to the Mediterranean fell by more than half on the year to 766,000t from 1.85mn t, as demand from Turkish power utilities and cement manufacturers for March-loading RB1 (6,000 kcal/kg exported from Richards Bay) cargoes evaporated. No vessels were Turkey-bound last month, compared with 795,000t shipped in the same month last year. Israel was absent from last month’s shipping schedule, after 168,400t were dispatched in March last year.