Contracts “Colmar” with Japan and South Korea were interrupted due to sanctions

VLADIVOSTOK, 8 Sep — PRIME. Long-term contracts of the Kolmar coal mining company for the supply of coking coal to Japan and South Korea have been terminated due to sanctions, Anna Tsivileva, chairman of the board of directors of Kolmar Group, told RIA Novosti at the Eastern Economic Forum (VEF).

“In connection with the sanctions imposed against Russia’s energy resources and metallurgical coals, we have now stopped deliveries to countries that were our long-term partners, with whom we had long-term contracts, good partnerships. These are Japan, South Korea,” Tsivileva said.

The European Union, within the framework of the fifth package of sanctions against the Russian Federation, decided to gradually abandon the import of Russian coal. The EU countries, among other things, have introduced a complete ban on its supply since August.

Tsivileva also noted that China is a key consumer of coking coal mined by Kolmar. “The main volume – up to 80% of sales markets – is now in China,” she said.

According to her, it is important to diversify sales markets. “Today, dependence on one country or another is more risky, because now, and this is no secret to anyone, Russian coals are being dumped. And if we compare us with Australian coal benchmarks, then the discount on Russian coals is up to 30-40% only because that our business partners understand that we have nowhere to sell our products. They are the only direction for us, “explained the head of the board of directors of Kolmar.

Tsivileva noted that there are other markets in Asia that the company needs to develop.

The company plans to find coal buyers in India and Malaysia at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), Tsivileva said.

“We are now actively working in this direction (search for new markets – ed.). These are India, Malaysia and other countries that were not previously oriented to such a significant extent,” she said.

Tsivileva added that the WEF platform provides an opportunity to search for new partners. “For example, I participate in a round table with India on the supply of our energy resources, our metallurgical coals. We get to know our potential consumers. And, as a rule, within a year after the forum, these new contacts are worked out, which we acquire, then we send “probes” ( a trial batch of coal – ed.) And in the future this is built into long-term relationships, long-term contracts,” the chairman of the board of directors of the company specified.

According to her, the Indian markets were freed up after Australia and Indonesia refocused on European markets, since Russian coal miners left there.

The Kolmar coal mining company was founded in 2003 and conducts its main activities in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).

WEF takes place on September 5-8 on the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok. RIA Novosti acts as the general information partner of the WEF.