That’s because of a critical and unexpected policy change that came down over the weekend. With the world’s biggest coal-consuming nation shutting down over 150 import points for supply. The place is China. Where the government decreed that coal imports will no longer be allowed at smaller ports across the country, according to state newspaper China Securities Times. The new import ban reportedly affects at least 150 small ports across the country. Which have, up until now, been major points of entry for coal supply. Many of those small facilities are in fact owned by coastal power plants, which use them to bring in coal supply for generation. With these ports having lower loading fees than first-tier facilities — by up to $1 per tonne of imported coal. And the ban is happening right now. Authorities said that coal imports at smaller ports will be stopped as of July […]