More Australian coal shipments head to China as both look to move past years of bilateral acrimony
- Vessels loaded with thousands of tonnes of thermal and coking coal en route to Chinese ports following months of hectic talks between the two sides to repair fractured ties
- Analysts say the improving bilateral relationship could also prompt Beijing, Canberra’s largest trading partner, to lifts its ban on Australian lobster and wine sales
More shipments of Australian coal are on the way to China in a sign of warming bilateral ties between the two countries after a rocky period under the former conservative government.
Just over 630,000 tonnes of coking and thermal coal were loaded across six more vessels in eastern Australia in the past two weeks bound for Chinese ports in late January and early February as Beijing further eased its informal coal ban.
Data from S&P Global Commodities at Sea showed vessels Tiger East and Magic Eclipse carrying two of those consignments arrived at their respective southern Chinese ports of Guangzhou and Zhanjiang in the last two days.
Tiger East is laden with about 68,000 tonnes of thermal coal from miner Glencore and Magic Eclipse will unload about 73,000 tonnes of coking coal sold by mining company BHP Mitsubishi Alliance.
Another four ships – NSU Newstar, Eastern Glamour, Serifos, HL Taean – loaded with about 490,000 tonnes of coking and thermal coal mined by Glencore and Yancoal are en route to China.