China may start importing coal from Australia again

The Chinese authorities have lifted unspoken restrictions on coal imports from Australia.

This was reported by The Wall Street Journal on Thursday.
According to the publication, customs officers in Guangdong Province in southern China received a notification from local authorities authorizing the import of coal from Australia into the country. Two sources told the newspaper that on January 3, the State Committee for Development and Reform of the People's Republic of China allowed a number of companies, including China Baowu Steel Group and China Datang Corporation, to resume importing Australian coal. It is expected that the first deliveries will take place this month.
At the same time, experts believe that a rapid recovery of previous supply volumes is unlikely. As stated by the executive director of the Resources Council of the Australian State of Queensland (Queensland Resources Council) Ian MacFarlane, in two years they have refocused on coal supplies to India and other Asian countries. China, in turn, has increased domestic fuel production and increased imports from Russia, Indonesia and the United States.
Relations between Beijing and Canberra became significantly complicated after the Australian authorities demanded an international investigation in 2020 to establish the causes of the coronavirus pandemic and the role of the Chinese authorities in the spread of the virus.
Officially, Beijing has not imposed any restrictions on the supply of Australian coal, but in 2021 its imports decreased by 85%, writes TASS.