According to the data issued by Russia's Ministry of Economic Development, in the first 11 months of this year Russia registered a 6.3 percent year-on-year growth in its coal output to 287 million mt, including 61 million mt of coking coal - up 10.8 percent year on year. The growth of coal output during this period was due to increased demand in the domestic and external markets and due to the improvement of external economic conditions.
According to preliminary data, in January-November 2010, Russia's total shipments of coal to the domestic market amounted to 177.8 million mt - up 8.2 percent year on year, including 35.1 million mt of coal for coking needs - up 3.3 percent year on year.
In January-October 2010, Russia exported 95 million mt of coal - up 10.3 percent year on year, while the increase rate of coal exports amounted to 5.5 percent for non-CIS countries, and to 71.7 percent for CIS countries, which was due to the increase of coal exports to Ukraine (from 6 million mt in January-October 2009 to 10.6 million mt in January-October 2010, i.e., an increase of 76.7 percent). The share of exports in the overall amount of coal output in January-October 2010 increased to 36.7 percent from 35.7 percent in the same period last year.
Meanwhile, in the first 10 months of this year, Russia's imports of coal decreased by 22.1 percent year on year to 14.6 million mt.
In November, coal prices in Russia increased by 0.6 percent month on month. The most significant increase in coal prices in Russia occurred in January-May 2010, which comparing to December last year amounted to an increase of 16.4 percent for coal in general, and a 37.3 percent rise for coking coal.