Figures from the European Union show that despite the global recession, imports of calcined petroleum coke into the EU rose by almost 54% to just under EUR138 million during the first quarter of 2009 compared to a year ago. However, the calcined petroleum coke trade between EU member states fell during the period by 6% to EUR79 million.
China and the USA were the chief sources for calcined petroleum coke, which is mainly used in the aluminium industry. The United States accounted for 45% of imports from outside the EU at EUR63 million, a rise of 15% over the first quarter of 2008. Despite the appreciation of the Yuan, China’s rise in imports was even more spectacular showing an increase of 225% from EUR9.59 million in Q1 of 2008 to EUR31.2 million in the first quarter of 2009.
Japan also saw a significant increase as its CPC exports to the EU trebled to EUR18.9 million in the quarter.
There were significant falls in imports from Argentina – down 33% to EUR2.9 million – and from Bosnia-Herzegovina, which sold EUR1.5 million to the Netherlands in Q1 of 2008, but zero in the first quarter of 2009.
Among the 27 EU nations, The Netherlands was the single biggest importer with EUR66.3 million worth of imports of which EUR59.7 million came from outside the EU, a rise of 30% on the first quarter of 2008. Two-thirds of the Netherlands’ imports came from the USA.
Germany imported EUR31.3 million – a rise of 85% - though almost half of that came from other EU countries, principally from the Netherlands and the UK.
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