AsemconnectVietnam - In the first 10 months of the year, Vietnam’s coal imports reached more than 41.3 million tonnes with a value of more than 5.85 billion USD, a sharp increase of 53.6% in volume but a decrease of 6.1% in turnover over the same period last year.

Imported coal prices increased rapidly, up to 170% in the first 8 months of the year, coal imports increased sharply in quantity and decreased in value.
Vietnam's coal imports of all types reached more than 3.6 million tonnes with more than 495.2 million USD in October of 2023, an increase of 11% in volume and an increase of 16.8% in value compared to the previous month, recently announced by the General Department of Customs.
Totally in the first 10 months of the year, the country’s coal imports reached more than 41.3 million tonens with a value of more than 5.85 billion USD, a sharp increase of 53.6% in volume but a decrease of 6.1% in turnover compared to the same period of 2022.
Vietnam is increasingly dependent on imported coal
Vietnam's coal imports reached more than 3.6 million tonnes with more than 495.2 million USD in October of 2023
Australia was Vietnam's largest coal supplier in the first 10 months of the year with 16.6 million tonnes, worth of more than 2.72 billion USD.
Vietnam is strongly increasing imports of this product from Indonesia at the cheapest price in all markets. Specifically, in October of 2023, coal imports from this Southeast Asian country reached more than 1.4 million tonnes with a value of more than 141.8 million USD, an increase of 170% in volume and an increase of 159.2% in turnover compared to October of 2022. Overall, in the first 10 months of the year, Vietnam spent more than 1.71 billion USD to import 15.4 million tonnes of coal from Indonesia, an increase of 76.3% in output and 27% in value compared to the same period of 2022.
The average export price reached 111 USD/tonne, down by 28% over the same period of 2022. Indonesia was the second largest market supplying coal to Vietnam, accounting for 37.2% of the total volume and 29.2% of the total turnover.
The proportion of imported coal at high prices is increasing. Currently, domestic coal is exploited at a rate of 43-45 million tonnes/year, only meeting about half the amount of coal for coal power plants. With the current scale of coal power, it is estimated that domestic coal only ensures the production of less than 20% of total electricity output; the remaining factories must import coal, or use mixed coal.
Also according to the General Department of Customs, Vietnam's imported coal volume is increasing rapidly, from 6.9 million tonnes in 2015 to a "peak" of over 54 million tonnes in 2020. In the 10 months of 2023 alone, the imports of coal exports have exceeded 40 million tonnes.
CK
Source: VITIC/congthuong.vn