Turkey's March bituminous thermal coal imports increased 12% year on year and 35% month on month to 3.08 million mt, according to data from the Turkish statistical Institute (TUIK) Tuesday.
Colombia remained the largest shipper of thermal coal to Turkey by a large margin at 1.82 million mt, rising 61% year on year and month on month to the highest volume since S&P Global Platts records began in January 2013.
Russia trailed at 991,613 mt, up 10% year on year and 9% from February, while thermal coal imports from South Africa fell 75% year on year and 4% month on month to 152,015 mt.
Shipments from Poland totaled 72,824 mt from zero a year earlier and in February.
According to the data, Turkey's total purchases in March for imported thermal coal were $277.95 million, rising 40% on the month and 55% higher than March 2016.
This was equivalent to a monthly average price of $90.14/mt, up from February's $86.89/mt.
Platts assessed the March monthly average of its CIF Turkey 6,000 kcal/kg NAR 90-day price at $81.80/mt, down $6.70 month on month.
Turkey's total coking coal imports in March were 166,837 mt, dropping 71% year on year and 68% lower on the month, according to the TUIK data.
The country's anthracite imports for the month were 45,829 mt, doubling on the year, but down 16% from February.
