Australian coal exports to China more than double
Imports from Mongolia rise 33%, Russian shipments fell 8%
Indonesia remains China's top coal supplier
BEIJING, July 20 (Reuters) - China's coal imports from Australia more than doubled in the first half of the year, while those from Mongolia rose 33%, taking market share from top suppliers Indonesia and Russia, official data showed on Saturday.
Australia's coal shipments to China jumped to 36.65 million tons from 15.56 million tons in the same period last year, according to General Administrations of Customs data, as exporters ramped up sales amid a warming in trade relations in which China has also lifted trade barriers on Australian wine and other products.
Australian shipments have been recovering since February 2023, when China ended an informal ban in place since 2020.
Mongolian coal exports to China, mostly of coking coal, rose to 38.79 million tons from 29.23 million tons, putting the country on track to exceed its target of 60 million tons of coal exports to China for the year as the two neighbours work to boost cross-border logistics infrastructure.
Russian coal shipments to China fell 11% on year to 45.63 million tons in the first half as sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine weighed on the country's exporters.
Indonesia, the world's largest coal exporter last year, remained China's top supplier, selling 103.71 million tons in the first six months. That was down 8% from year-earlier levels.
