Japan imported 14.64 million tonnes of coal in December, down 7.7% year on year, showed the preliminary data from the Ministry of Finance on January 22.

The import value amounted to 300.15 billion yen ($1.90 billion) in December, down 23.1% from a year ago, data showed.

In December, coal imports from the U.S. dived 35.8% year on year to 670,000 tonnes, with the value plunging 48.3% to 13.37 billion yen. Russian coal receipts fell 6.1% from the previous year to 123,000 tonnes, which was worth 2.20 billion yen, a 31.5% year-on-year decline.

Japan imported 9.35 million tonnes of thermal coal during the same month, down 14.7% on the year, with import value at 176.06 billion yen, down 30.4% year on year.

Thermal coal intakes from the U.S. were 155,000 tonnes, sliding 79.8% from a year earlier, and the value fell 86.4% on the year to 2.22 billion yen.

Meanwhile, the country imported 123,000 tonnes of thermal coal from Russia, 26.9% higher than the same month last year, with the value declining 1.5% to 2.20 billion yen.

In December, Japan imported 3.00 million tonnes of coal from Asian countries, rising 2.1% on the year, with the value dropping 17.3% on the year to 55.9 billion yen. Thermal coal imports were 1.19 million tonnes, climbing 12.7% from a year ago; value increased 30.5% year on year to 20.11 billion yen.

Imports from ASEAN countries amounted to 2.97 million tonnes, rising 1.2% year on year, with the value down 18.8% to 54.65 billion yen. Thermal coal intakes gained 12.7% from a year earlier to 1.19 million tonnes, which was valued at 20.10 billion yen, a 30.5% slide year on year.

Japan also imported 6.54 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas during the month, up 2.8% from the preceding year; the value slid 6.7% on the year to 560.86 billion yen.