China’s decision to impose fresh restrictions on imports of coal at some ports appears to have caused a sharp fall in inbound shipments of the polluting fuel. The measures, announced on April 16, included banning the unloading of imported coal at some ports and tightening customs clearances. While it’s still too early to discern a definitive trend, China’s seaborne coal imports slumped to 3.45 million tonnes in the week ended April 21, according to vessel-tracking and port data compiled by Thomson Reuters Supply Chain and Commodity Forecasts. This was down almost 30 percent on the 4.92 million ton weekly average that was recorded from Jan. 1 to April 15. It’s also lower than the […]