Bangladesh: Coal imports at Chittagong port decline on low demand

Bangladesh's thermal coal imports at Chittagong port were recorded at only 33,000 t in Jul'21 against the monthly average of 0.56 mn t observed in the Jan-Apr'21 period. This is because the brick-kiln industry, a major consumer of imported thermal coal in Bangladesh, runs on a low key during the Jun-Aug period due to the rainy season. Sans sunshine, the raw bricks can neither be dried nor fired. Moreover, construction activities continue in slow pace during rainy season, impacting bricks and subsequently coal requirement.