India cedes its position as top coal importer to China, but for how long?
India imports twice as much coal as it did five years ago, but last year China overtook it as top importer. The question is whether that was just a blip
Launceston, Australia — China has taken over from India as the top importer of coal as India’s overseas purchases fell in 2016 to fewer than 200-million tonnes. The question now is whether lower Indian coal imports is the new reality, or if last year was just a blip. India’s coal imports last year totalled 194.93-million tonnes, according to vessel-tracking and port data compiled by Thomson Reuters Supply Chain and Commodity Forecasts. This was 5.4% lower than the 206.6-million tonnes in 2015 and also less than the 255.5-million tonnes China imported last year, according to official customs data. Despite the decline, India still imports nearly four times as much as it did a decade ago, and almost double the quantity of five years ago. India’s rapid growth in coal imports came amid strong economic growth and struggles by state miner Coal India to lift output to meet its ambitious targets. India’s coal production has been rising, although Coal India may battle to reach a target of 575...
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