Japan imported 12.86 million tonnes of coal in March, up 4.7% year on year, showed the preliminary data from the Ministry of Finance on April 22.

The import value amounted to 280.86 billion yen ($1.76 billion) in March, up 6.3% from a year ago, data showed.

In March, coal imports from the U.S. rose 1.7% year on year to 922,000 tonnes, with the value down 20.7% to 17.85 billion yen. Russian coal receipts slumped 49% from the previous year to 59,000 tonnes, which was worth 1.23 billion yen, a 57.8% year-on-year dive.

Japan imported 8.49 million tonnes of thermal coal during the same month, up 2.2% on the year, with import value at 164.69 billion yen, up 1.4% year on year.

Thermal coal intakes from the U.S. were 467,000 tonnes, rising 0.2% from a year earlier, and the value fell 18.3% on the year to 7.75 billion yen.

Meanwhile, the country imported 59,000 tonnes of thermal coal from Russia, 192.1% higher than the same month last year, with the value skyrocketing 101.3% to 1.23 billion yen.

In March, Japan imported 2.41 million tonnes of coal from Asian countries, rising 24.5% on the year, with the value rising 22.8% on the year to 48.1 billion yen. Thermal coal imports were 1.11 million tonnes, up 15.9% from a year ago; value increased 9.8% year on year to 18.82 billion yen.

Imports from ASEAN countries amounted to 2.37 million tonnes, rising 24.1% year on year, with the value up 22% to 46.58 billion yen. Thermal coal intakes rose 15.9% from a year earlier to 1.11 million tonnes, which was valued at 18.82 billion yen, a 9.8% rise year on year.

Japan also imported 5.87 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas during the month, up 13.9% from the preceding year; the value gained 10.6% on the year to 517.04 billion yen.