Combined coal stocks in western Europe’s Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp trading hub registered their first fall in over a month Tuesday, dropping 4.6% on the week, although they remained above 3 million mt, data gathered from various port sources showed.

Stocks at three delivery terminals fell to 3.08 million mt as the number of arrivals tailed off. This is 2.3 million mt, or 43%, lower than in the same week in 2015, according to S&P Global Platts data.

The OVET Dry Bulk Terminal in Vlissingen posted its lowest inventories in over 12 weeks, down 80,000 mt on the week at 360,000 mt, which was 56,000 mt lower than in the same week in 2015.

Reductions were also apparent at the EMO Dry Bulk Terminal, where inventories were down 100,000 mt on the week and 900,000 mt on the year. The facility had the highest coal stocks in the region, however, at 1.5 million mt.

OBA Bulk Amsterdam’s terminal was the only facility to show a build in inventories over the week of 30,000 mt to 1.22 million mt, the highest in over three weeks. However, this remained nearly 1.5 million mt below a year earlier.

A port source said deliveries were expected to pick up toward the end of the month as a number of physical deals had been concluded for delivery in July. Trading had slowed significantly in the previous weeks, however, as European-delivered thermal coal spot prices remained extremely volatile, causing many market participants to withdraw to the sidelines.

CIF ARA thermal coal basis 6,000 kcal/kg NAR prices fell $4.25 between Monday and Thursday last week to $55.65/mt, before rebounding back to $57/mt in thin liquidity by Monday this week.