The European Union also introduced an embargo on Russian coal imports starting from Aug. 10 as part of the Ukraine-related sanctions. Arrivals of Russian coal stood at 6.43 million tonnes in October, down from 6.95 million tonnes in September and a record 8.54 million tonnes in August, the General Administration of Customs said. Russian coal export constraints could prove even more painful for China as fuel demand in the power generation and heating sectors picks up in winter. Russia's key coal producing region of Kuzbass in Western Siberia will likely miss its coal export target this year and next over persistent logistic bottlenecks, the local governor Sergei Tsivilyov said last month. For next year, the plan stands at 63 million tonnes, while Tsivilyov said the railways had offered to transport 52.5 million tonnes.

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