CHINA'S COKING GOAL IMPORTS SURGE 72%

China's coking coal imports surged 72% year on year to 5.09 million mt in March, according to data released Friday by the General Administration of Customs. 

Imports for the first three months of the year totaled 11.43 million mt, up 5% from the same period a year ago. The rise in March imports reverses the downtrend seen in the first two months of the year. 

The increase in China's imports is consistent with Platts data, which showed buying for March deliveries had increased just before the Lunar New Year holidays in early February, for restocking purposes.CHINA'