China imported 428,000 mt of coal from Gladstone port in Australia's central Queensland last month, marginally higher from 415,000 mt in March, and 150,000 mt in February, the Gladstone Ports Corporation said in a report Friday.
Over January-April, China's coal offtake from Gladstone almost halved to 1.56 million mt from 3.6 million mt a year ago.
China and Japan maintained a steady offtake from the poret's coal terminals in April while Indian demand declined below 1 million mt/month for the first time since April 2015, the report added.
Japan took 1.94 million mt of coal from the port last month, down slightly from 1.99 million mt in March, and its offtake year to date was 7.2 million mt, up from 7.07 million mt over January-April 2015.
India-bound ships took delivery of 992,000 mt of Gladstone coal shipments in April, down from 1.31 million mt in March. Year to date, it has taken 4.67 million mt, compared with 3.67 million mt over January-April 2015, according to port data.
India's offtake from Gladstone port last dipped below 1 million mt/month in April 2015 when it was 872,000 mt, the data showed.
South Korea's imports from Gladstone dropped to 1 million mt in April from 1.3 million mt in March. It has taken delivery of 5.13 million mt so far, up from 3.38 million mt over January-April 2015.
Taiwan imported 406,000 mt of coal from Gladstone in April compared with 420,000 mt in March.
Gladstone port's three coal terminals -- Barney Point, RG Tanna and Wiggins Island -- shipped out 21.7 million mt of coal in the first four months of 2016, up slightly from 21.2 million mt in the same period last year.
