Japanese Iron Ore and Coal Imports Fall in May

Coal, Iron Ore

Japanese iron ore imports dropped by 39.7% year-on-year to 6.8 Mt in May, the lowest since April 2009, provisional finance ministry data show. Receipts tumbled after hitting a nine-month high of 10.3 Mt in April. By contrast, imports last year had peaked at 11.3 Mt in May 2019.

Meanwhile, total May coal imports declined by 11.1% on the year to a five-year low of 12.4 Mt.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Japan’s overall imports and exports in May both registered the widest year-on-year decline in more than ten-years, local media reports.