TOKYO: The volume of Japan's customs-cleared crude oil imports fell more than 11 percent in August from the same month a year earlier, while thermal coal imports hit a record high, government data showed on Thursday.
Japan, the world's fourth-biggest crude buyer, imported 3.26 million barrels per day of crude oil last month (16.05 million kilolitres), down 11.5 percent, marking the steepest decline since May, preliminary data from the Ministry of Finance showed.
Oil imports fell for the second straight month, hurt by sluggish oil and power demand amid cooler summer temperatures than a year ago, ministry officials said.
Japan's imports of liquefied natural gas totalled 7.05 million tonnes in August, down 2.7 percent from a year earlier. Imports of thermal coal for power generation rose 10 percent to 10.48 million tonnes.
Following is a preliminary breakdown of energy imports for last month, with volumes of crude, oil products and gasoline/naphtha in million kilolitres; LNG, LPG and coal in million tonnes; values in million yen.
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