Japan imported 14.53 million tonnes of coal in October, up 3.4% year on year, showed the preliminary data from the Ministry of Finance on November 21.

The import value amounted to 291.76 billion yen ($1.85 billion) in October, down 17.8% from a year ago, data showed.

In October, coal imports from the U.S. dived 29.5% year on year to 687,000 tonnes, with the value plunging 41.2% to 14.84 billion yen. Russian coal receipts surged 81.9% from the previous year to 96,000 tonnes, which was worth 1.67 billion yen, a 52.9% year-on-year spike.

Japan imported 9.32 million tonnes of thermal coal during the same month, up 9.6% on the year, with import value at 171.45 billion yen, down 11.9% year on year.

Thermal coal intakes from the U.S. were 205,000 tonnes, tumbling 68.5% from a year earlier, and the value fell 78.3% on the year to 2.93 billion yen.

Meanwhile, the country imported 75,000 tonnes of thermal coal from Russia, 131.9% higher than the same month last year, with the value climbing 138% to 1.32 billion yen.

In October, Japan imported 2.52 million tonnes of coal from Asian countries, down 7% on the year, with the value dropping 22.3% on the year to 47.44 billion yen. Thermal coal imports were 1.17 million tonnes, up 0.6% from a year ago; value decreased 15.9% year on year to 19.40 billion yen.

Imports from ASEAN countries amounted to 2.48 million tonnes, falling 7.5% year over year, with the value down 23.3% to 46.08 billion yen. Thermal coal intakes gained 1.1% from a year earlier to 1.17 million tonnes, which was valued at 19.40 billion yen, a 15.4% decline year on year.

Japan also imported 5.85 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas during the month, down 10.5% from the preceding year; the value slid 0.9% on the year to 478.28 billion yen.