According to preliminary data of the General Department of Customs, in the first 9 months of 2020, coal exports from Vietnam to foreign markets decreased 26.6% in volume and 33.6% in turnover over the same period in 2019, reaching 574,572 tons of output with the total turnover of over USD78.5 million. Similar to the declining trend in the average import value of coal, the average value of each ton of exported coal in the first 9 months also fluctuated following the price trend in the world market. Specifically, the average value of the exported coal of Vietnam in the first 9 months of this year was only about 136.6 USD/ton, down more than 14 USD/ton as compared to the same period last year when the value was nearly 151 USD/ton.
If mentioning only three months of the third quarter, the volume of exported coal was more than 188,490 tons, total turnover of more than USD24.6 million. In particular, the volume of coal exported in July reached nearly 24,740 tons, with the turnover of over USD3.3 million, showing a decrease of46.5% in volume and 49.1% in turnover over the previous month. In August 2020, coal exports reached 61,249 tons at the value of USD8 million, up 147.6% in volume and 137.6% in turnover ascompared to the figures in July, but down 30.3% in volume and 37% in turnover as compared to the data in August 2019. In the last month of the third quarter, coal exports continued to increase with the output of 102,791 tons, total turnover of over USD13.3 million, showing a rise of 67.8% in volume and 66.1% in turnover over the previous month.
However, similar to August, the volume of coal exported in September also represented a decrease of 26.6% as compared to the same period last year. The average value of coal exported in September 2020 was 129.59 USD/ton, down 1.03% from the value in August 2020 and 5.04% from that in July 2020.
Japan, Thailand, and South Korea were the three leading markets for Vietnam's coal consumption by the end of the third quarter. These are also the three largest export markets of Vietnam in 2019 and the first half of 2020.
In the first 9 months of 2020, coal exported to Japan reached 322,379 tons, total turnover of more than 42.5 million USD, down 1.02% in volume and 7.3% in turnover over the same period last year. Coal supplied to the Japanese market accounts for over 56% of the country's total exports in the first 9 months of the year and makes up more than 54% of the total turnover. The value of coal exported to Japan decreased 9 USD/ton as compared to the same period in 2019, reaching more than 131.9 USD/ton. In the third quarter alone, the volume of coal supplied to the Japanese market was 116,832 ton, earning more than USD14.2 million.
South Korea is the second largest coal consumer of Vietnam in the third quarter of 2020, reaching more than 25,070 tons, equivalent to nearly USD3.6 million. Accumulated from the beginning of the year to the end of September, the volume of Vietnamese coal exported to South Korea was 120,487 tons with the total turnover of over 20.4 million USD, increased by nearly 61% in volume and over 67.5% in turnover over the same period last year.
Thailand ranked third in terms of the total coal output imported from Vietnam in the third quarter of 2020, but it was the second largest coal consumer of Vietnam if it was counted from the beginning of the year to the end of the third quarter. The volume of coal exported to Thailand in the third quarter alone was 15,730 tons, total turnover of more than 1.8 million USD, accounting for 8.3% of total output and 7.5% of total turnover of the country. Accumulated from the beginning of the year to the end of September 2020, Vietnam has exported 56,670 tons of coal to Thailand, earning more than USD6.5 million.
