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LONDON, Jan 7 (Reuters) - European physical coal prices extended losses on Tuesday, with the March contract for delivery into Europe's main terminals touching a fresh record low.
The March contract traded down $0.25 day on day at $79.25 a tonne, the lowest level since it started trading on the globalCoal platform in December, trading data showed.
However physical trading volumes were thin as none of the other contracts changed hands on Tuesday.
On Monday, news of continued Colombian coal supply had weighed on prices after the introduction of new laws had threatened to temporarily suspend production in one of Europe's biggest coal supply markets.
March South African cargoes from its Richards Bay export terminal were also trading lower on Tuesday, shedding $0.35 to $78.78 a tonne.
The bearish picture was underlined by a fall in the Baltic sea freight index, which gauges the cost of shipping commodities including coal.
In other news, the world's number 3 importer of coal, India, increased imports by 20 percent in the period from April-October, mainly from Indonesia.
(Reporting by Karolin Schaps; editing by Keiron Henderson)
((karolin.schaps@thomsonreuters.com)(+44)(0)(207 542 6622)(Reuters Messaging: karolin.schaps.reuters.com@reuters.net))
Keywords: MARKETS COAL/PHYSICAL