Turkey's bituminous thermal coal imports slipped below the 2 million mt level in May for the first time since September 2015, falling 24.5% on the year to 1.57 million mt, according to data from the Turkish statistical Institute (TUIK) published Thursday.
The volume also dropped 25.3% from April and was at a 25-month low, the data showed.
During the January-May period, Turkey received 11.17 million mt of thermal coal, up 3.7% from the corresponding 2015 period.
Colombia remained Turkey's largest supplier of thermal coal in May, delivering 652,399 mt, slipping 18% on the year and 50% lower than April's volume to a 10-month low.
Russia was close behind with 537,193 mt of material shipped during the month, down 24% on the year and falling 3% on the month to the lowest volume since May 2014, the TUIK data showed.
South African thermal coal shipments to Turkey in May plunged 60% on the year to 217,463 mt, but more than doubled from April's 99,148 mt.
According to the data, Turkey's total purchases in May of imported thermal coal were $95.08 million, down from the previous month's $125.58 million. This was equivalent to a monthly average price of $60.64/mt, rising from April's $59.85/mt.
Platts assessed the May monthly average of its CIF Turkey 6,000 kcal/kg NAR 90-day price at $53.25/mt, gaining $2.95 on the month.
Turkey's total coking coal imports in May fell 9% on the year but were up 70% on the month, according to the TUIK data.
During May, Turkey imported 272,429 mt from Australia, 166,958 mt from Canada, 72,478 mt from the US and 31,046 mt from Russia.
Turkey's May anthracite imports were at 40,185 mt, 32% lower than the previous month.
