South Africa exported 4.6 million tonnes of thermal coal in May with Asia including India taking 3.6 million tonnes and the rest going to Atlantic markets, exporters said.
India imported 1.4 million tonnes of coal from South Africa's Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT), down from 1.6 million in April.
Almost all of South Africa's exports are shipped from RBCT which is owned by exporters including BHP Billiton, Xstrata, Anglo American, Glencore and Exxaro.
China, a growing market for South African coal, took 1.4 million tonnes in May, up from 810,000 tonnes in the previous month.
Of the 1 million tonnes shipped to the Atlantic, around 190,000 tonnes went to Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp, Europe's main coal importing hub.
Very little South African coal has been shipped to Europe during in past two years because other origins, such as Colombian or U.S., are more price-competitive on a delivered basis. - Reuters