The volume of Japan’s customs-cleared comprehensive imports rose 1 percent in June from the same month a year earlier, while liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports rose 5.9 percent reflecting firm gas demand for power output amid nuclear shutdowns.

Japan, the world’s fourth-biggest crude buyer, imported 3.16 million barrels per day (15.06 million kilolitres) of crude oil last month, the preliminary data from the Ministry of Finance showed.

Imports of fossil fuel, especially LNG and thermal coal, have remained high as all 48 commercial nuclear reactors in Japan have been shut since last September, with no schedule for restart until October at the earliest pending rigorous safety checks enforced after the Fukushima crisis three years ago.

Japan’s imports of liquefied natural gas totalled 6.82 million tonnes last month, up 5.9 percent from a year earlier. Imports of thermal coal for power generation increased by 11.6 percent in June to 9.43 million tonnes, the data showed.

Source: Reuters (Reporting by Osamu Tsukimori; Editing by Aaron Sheldrick and Jacqueline Wong; Editing by Michael Perry)