Russia decided to resume transit shipments of coal through the DPRK, despite the threat of new sanctions. According to Kommersant, against the background of high prices for coal and lack of export capacity, domestic exporters resumed supply to North Korea for the first time since 2018, although it was necessary to agree with the UN.
In the first quarter of 2021, Russia put in the DPRK on the railway of about 15 thousand tons of coal by 836.7 thousand dollars. This coal goes to the Rajin port, from where it can be sent to South Korea and China. The growth in demand is explained by the deficiency of natural gas and the increase in electricity consumption.
Recently, the price of energy coal is growing worldwide. According to Argus analysts, if the market trends persist, the situation of the fall of 2018 may repeat, when prices were on peak values of 1450-1500 rubles per ton.
Currently, the cost of metallurgical coal with the delivery by sea in June exceeded $ 300 per ton for the first time since 2008.
Already now, large energy companies are already faced with problems in the procurement of coal and complain of high prices. At the same time, for Russian firms now it is advantageous to make coal to Asia than in Europe. In particular, the supply of Russian coal to China in the first quarter of this year increased by 44 percent – up to 8.3 million tons.