ITALY DATA: Petcoke imports plunge 79% on month in July

Italy's petcoke imports continued to decline in July, reaching a more than one-year low due to tepid demand from end-users and high prices, sources said.

In July, imports totaled 19,975 mt, down 79% month on month, according to data from Italy's Ministry of Environment and Energy Security.

The previous low occurred in April 2023 when Italy imported no petcoke, the data showed.

In July, Italy imported petcoke solely from the US, with no shipments from other key suppliers like Spain, the UAE and Brazil.

Italy recorded its highest petcoke imports this year in May, reaching 100,115 metric tons. Since then, total import volumes have declined month-on-month.

The US supplied 19,975 metric tons in July, down 79% month on month and 80% year on year. Since December, the US has been the sole supplier of Italian petcoke imports until May.

Combined imports from January to July totaled 479,357 metric tons, down from 570,255 metric tons in the same period of 2023.

Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, assessed CIF Turkey 5.5% sulfur petcoke prices at an average of $93/t in July. Platts last assessed the CIF Turkey 5.5% sulfur petcoke price at $85/t on Sept. 25.