Port Waratah Coal Services, the operator of two terminals at Newcastle, the world’s biggest coal export harbour, has said that exports to China fell by 67 per cent in February as cold weather in the country receded.
The port exported 7.87 million tonnes of coal in February; around 5 per cent of this went to China but thus was down from 15.6 percent in January, 15.9 percent in December and 16.15 percent in November.
Poor weather is being blamed by analysts for the fall as China’s coldest winter for 50 years meant disrupted the country’s internal transportation system making it easier to import coal from the coast.
According to figures from Chinese customs the country imported 16.4 million tons in December, a sixfold increase over December 2008. Around 80 per cent of exports from Newcastle is of steam – or thermal – coal, used by power stations.
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