Russia’s coal shipments to China rose to the highest level in eight months in May after Moscow suspended export duties, official data showed on Thursday.
Russia’s coal exports to China rose to 9.1 million metric tons in May, according to Chinese customs administration data. That was up 1.5 per cent on the year and the highest level since September.
Shipments were expected to rise in the short term after Russia suspended export duties during May to August, a China coal industry association said last month.
China’s shipments from Australia rose 24 per cent to 6.7 million tons last month.
That was down from 7.19 million tons in April, the highest level since July 2020 – right before China put a yearslong informal ban on Australian coal imports.
Imports from Mongolia, mostly coking coal, jumped 59 per cent on the year last month to 7.23 million tons, benefiting from improved cross-border logistics and a shortfall in domestic production of coking coal.
Indonesia, China’s largest coal supplier, shipped 16.97 million tons in May, down 7 per cent from a year earlier.
China’s overall coal imports rose by 11 per cent compared with May a year earlier, boosted by a 3 per cent drop in domestic output during January-May.