India coal imports rise in November after three months of decline

India’s coal imports in November rose 8.6% from a year earlier to 21.83 million tonnes, government data showed, following three straight months of decline.

Imports of thermal coal - used mainly for electricity generation - rose 12.3% from a year ago to 17.65 million tonnes, whereas coking coal shipments to India fell 5% from a year earlier to 4.18 million tonnes, data from the Ministry of Coal showed.

India’s thermal coal imports fell from August to October, their longest sustained fall in over two years, due to a broader economic slowdown that stifled demand from industrial consumers.